Gundam: Broken Wings
by ZLoner
Summary: While investigating an anonymous message, Heero and Duo end up in the Cosmic Era. New mobile suits, new factions, and a whole new war. Now the Gundam pilots must fight and search for those responsible, all while under watch of a mysterious figure.
1. Chapter 1

Gundam: Broken Wings

By: ZLoner

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Gundam SEED.

Prologue and First Chapter

After Colony 198, the Earth has experienced a prosperous two years of peace. This peace was achieved not by the gundams, but rather, by the will of the people. The people learned to take care of peace and cherish it. This meant they'd have to defend it with everything they had. The people of Earth and the Colonies learned a valuable lesson two years ago.

Back then when their peace was at stake, they gather together and united to defend their right to a peaceful life after the Eve's War. Two years later, peace is still present in the day to day lives of humanity. But, with the arrival of peace, there are those who wish to shatter the paradise man has achieved.

Deep out in space, the empty void led on and on to more emptiness. In this vast area, wreckage from the old war floated about. The old pieces of mobile suits and parts of the battleship, Libra surrounded an old meteor base. The wreckage was small in size but great in numbers. This allowed the meteor base to be seemingly abandoned.

The meteor base was no different than the old bases that were used years ago. They were made to look like meteors but this was to deceive enemies at the time. Inside this man-made meteor was a fully operational military base. These bases were normally used to carry mobile suits and monitor enemy activity. The commanding squad would then use the available suits to intercept the duped enemy.

At first, these bases worked effectively, allowing a multitude of surprise attacks and successful recon missions, but by A.C 195, the bases were too common and were easily noticed by enemies. It was due this along with other factors that caused this one base to survive the military demolition that the Preventers executed to prevent any upraise of rebel groups. This choice would prove to be the greatest mistake the Preventers made in the organization's history.

Inside the seemingly abandoned meteor base there was a loud hum of some sort of activity. The hum was accompanied by sparks of a tool. In one of the rooms, a figure could be seen. This figure wore a white lab coat and had protective glasses over its eyes. Judging from the physique of the figure, this was most likely a male. The male's body was short and pressed in as if this person was short, or aged.

The male stopped using the tool, flipping a switch as the flame turned off. He removed the protective glasses and moved over to a computer. He typed on the keyboard with his free hand as he glanced at the changing screens. He looked over to the machine near the computer as it began to sound with a spinning humming tone. Lights came on around the exterior as bolts of lightning were shooting out from protrusions in the machines interior. The bolts began gathering at the center. The collection of bolts formed a small circle. The circle glowed and grew quickly. The formation expanded and stopped when it hit the edge of the protrusions.

The machine sounded once more as a beeping sound could be heard. The circle began showing a faint image of something. As the image became more lucid the male watched with fascination. The circular formation turned into some kind of portal. The portal showed images of robotic machines that caught the male's interest even more. His eyes narrowed, looking at the portal. He grinned and began laughing maniacally. He lifted his head up looking toward the ceiling. His hands balled up into fists as he shook them and raised them up high, in a sense of victory to his achievement.

"It's done, it's finally done!" he shouted. He looked down at the computer and pushed down on one of the buttons. The machine powered down as the portal disappeared. The male moved toward the machine glancing at it with pride. As the male stared at the machine, seemingly obsessed over it, his computer beeped quietly as the screen changed and began moving and doing things on its own.

While the male gave this machine all of his attention, outside there was a ship not far from the meteor base. The dark color of the ship blended with the darkness of space, making it difficult to determine what kind of ship it was. Inside the ship another figure sat in the cockpit that was built for one person, making the ship a possible fighter type of some sort.

The figure typed on the keyboard of his laptop as he looked at the screen. The screen showed a black background with white text that displayed a 'DOWNLOAD COMPLETE' message. After a few moments the screen displayed a 'SENT' message. The figure closed the laptop and then grabbed ahold of the controls. "It's begun…" he said in a deeply cold voice. The ship moved quickly and left the area leaving behind green particles. The ship headed toward Earth.

Chapter 1: Return to the Battlefield

Peace has extended throughout the earth and beyond. With the Preventer's efforts, the world truly seemed like it was peaceful and united. Conferences were held to create new allegiances in the name of peace, meetings commenced to create new colonies for the growing population, and terra-forming projects were underway to expand humanity's living perimeters.

Although the Preventers did a good job at upholding peace using their own way, there were those from war's past that fought just has hard to keep this peace perfect for the people. Outside of a technical college institute, a brown haired male sat at one of the benches in the open area. He was dressed in the institute's uniform composed of dress pants and a clean white dress shirt that had the school's logo on the left breast. The male looked down at the laptop as his Persian blue eyes scanned the screens thoroughly.

The male heard footsteps approaching him as he listened to the voices. "Hey, hey you!" one of them called out. The male gave no response to the person as he continued looking at his laptop screen without pause. "Hey! We just wanted to know if you wanted to join in our game!" another asked.

The male looked up seeing the young boy holding a basketball. "Hmm…" the male seemed quiet for a long time, but he gave a short unexpected response due to his long pause. "No thanks…" The two teens walked away, a bit freaked out by the males personality. The male sighed watching the teens play happily. _"Why is it so difficult…?"_ he thought to himself.

He remembered a similar incident shortly after the Eve's war. That time he lashed out at the teens for not leaving him alone. He remembered how that felt and promised himself he would try to change with the times. When he glanced down at his laptop, he noticed that an email was opened. "Huh?" the male questioned.

He tried to close the email before proceeding to read it, as he didn't know if it was something worth his time or not. The email would not close, the screen froze. He lets out a sigh and began reading the email. His eyes opened wide, showing a sign of shock. He moved the mouse, noticing that the screen moved if he continued looking at things relating to the email.

"_The message is rigged….whoever sent this has a high skill level of hacking…possibly greater than my own." _ He thought. The male thought of his past and remembered those he fought with in the war. He assumed one of them to be the one that sent this message. "Hmm…judging from the detail in the message…" he brushed off his first assumption and moved onto his next one: Something threatening the world's peace.

"I can't ignore something this concerning and leave it to the Preventers alone…." He said to himself quietly. He typed on his keyboard, and used the only function that seemed available to him, e-mail. He sent the message he received to one person. The male closed the laptop and stood up, leaving the campus hastily. _"He'll be able to gather the others while I…"_

* * *

><p>Deep in space near the L4 cluster, a light blond haired male sat at the desk of an office. He wore the classic clothes that one would expect a company CEO to wear. The suit with the tie, dress pants to match. On the wall there were posters promoting the company. The male looked up at the poster smiling "How times have changed..." he looked over to his computer, hearing a beeping noise. The male knew this noise was an email alerting tone. He headed over to check the mail. His hand shook slightly as he read the message. "H-how can this be? Why weren't the Preventers notified about this!" he yelled out. He looked up to see an old man of Arabic descent bursting into the room. "Is there anything wrong, Master Quatre?"<p>

Quatre looked at the man as he sighed heavily, taking his shaking hand and placing it on his chest. "Yes, Rashid. This peaceful life may come to an end…." Rashid looked at him confusingly. "What do you mean, sir?" He looked at Rashid with worried eyes as he explained the situation to his longtime friend

"I understand. I'll contact the others immediately." Rashid bowed in a respectful manner as he left. Quatre puts his hands on his forehead, saddened by the events passed. "We have to act quickly, to protect the peace we worked so hard to achieve." He said.

* * *

><p>In another colony near the L2 cluster, a couple spent the day together at the park. The male was dressed in a dark outfit, the sleeves rolled up; showing white underneath. His shirt was partially unbuttoned revealing a dark red undershirt that wrapped around his neck comfortably. He had long brown hair that reached his waist. It was braided and tied behind his back. The female wore a lightly colored summer sweater. The collar of her sweater scrunched up like a turtleneck. She had a few short bangs to her right that extended from her short black hair.<p>

The two sat by a bench, watching people go by. The male sighed as he looked up to the artificial clouds, seeing the other side of the colony. He smiled closing his eyes. "Duo!" he heard.

He turned toward the girl, opening his eyes to see a palm headed for his face, his eyes widened at the thought of being slapped by the girl. He paused as he noticed her palm closing in as her finger pointed at him. He had a confused look on his face due to the girl's actions. "It's time for you to change that outfit of yours. You've been wearing that for two years! I know you had to make due when in a war or something, but we've been living in peace for two years!" she said.

He let out a sigh and smiled at her. "I'm sorry Hilde but I think this still looks good on me, and I'm not up to much change this good looking outfit." He said giving her a smirk. To be honest, he didn't want to change his outfit if he truly didn't need to. There was a side to him that knew if he made more and more changes, then he would have to come to terms that his skills wouldn't be needed anymore, not that he complained about living in peace.

"_You can take the pilot out of the war, but you can't take the war out of the pilot…"_ he thought as he kept his grin. He watched her talk of how they were going to open a church to house the orphans in this colony. He raised a finger to her face, requesting her to pause for a moment. "Huh?" she looked down at him.

He pulled out his cellphone and opened the message, reading it. Duo's eyes widened at what he read. "Oh man…" he said. "What? What is it?" Hilde asks. Concerned about what the messaged was, she moved closer, trying to get an answer. Duo smiled slipping the phone back into his pocket as he stood up. "Um, look Hilde. I might not be home in time for dinner; sorry!"

Duo rushed out of the park as Hilde watched confused by the situation. "What….the hell?"

* * *

><p>Down on Earth, there were explosions in a desert area. The sand shot up high due to the force of the explosion. There was a jeep parked on the edge of the cliff as a young Chinese male and a white female sat in the jeep watching the explosions. Both of them were dressed in a dark colored jacket that had a customized 'P' on the sleeves. "How many does that make, Wufei?" the female asks.<p>

Wufei glanced down at the laptop that sat on his lap. He looked at the changing number as another explosion sounded. "Fifteen. Sixteen if you count the one that just exploded." He said. Wufei noticed a small envelope image on the right corner of his screen. He opened it as he read the message. "Looks like we've more important things to do than detonate old bombs…" he said in a serious tone.

* * *

><p>As each pilot was informed of the message, there was one that could not be reached through normal means. Down on Earth, a long time traveling circus continued its act to entertain the crowd. Behind the currents was a well build young male with long brown hair that covered his right eye. He had his costume on which revealed most of his built physique. He had his arms crossed as he leaned on the post watching the show.<p>

In his hand was half of a white clown mask with some decorative colors around the eyes, and lip. "Trowa" he heard someone call out. He turned toward the voice seeing a young woman. The female was not much older than him, only by a few years. "What is it Cathy?" he asks.

He glanced at the paper in her hand. He grabbed the paper as she handed it to him. He read the message and sighed, closing his eyes. He opened them once more as he heard the sound of crying. He looked up to Catherine and smiled approaching her. "Don't worry, Cathy, I'll be back soon." He said as he put his hand on her cheek, wiping one of her tears away. He dropped the paper and left, leaving Cathy and the circus.

* * *

><p>In an abandoned mobile suit production base, the brown haired man from the school turned on all the system and lights. The room lit up and the machines sounded, as if he turned on something that had not been used for a long time. The male approached the computer and began typing. The screen stopped as a voice called out from the speakers, "Voice verification need. State your name." it requested.<p>

The brown haired male breathed quietly. He looked at the screen and spoke in a flat monotone voice. "Heero Yuy."

The machine processed the sound and frequency of the response, matching it with pre-existing data. "Voice verification accepted, Welcome, Heero Yuy" the computer said. Heero typed on the computer once again as he accessed blueprints. He then brought up something in front of him. The lights turned on as he looked through the glass. The area was large and seemed to contain mobile suits. All the available docking points for suits were empty except one.

Heero stood silently looking at the mobile suit in front of him. The suit was half complete. The armor that was on the suit had a red and blue color scheme, accompanied by some yellow on the shoulder. The armor was slick and smooth. The lower half of the suit was a bit bulky and seemed to hide some hidden ability. The other half was naked, it had no armor.

Heero looked down to the keyboard and was about to complete this suit when he sensed another presence in the room. He turned around and pulled out a pistol just as he completed his turn. He aimed the gun at the figure before him. "Who are you?" he asks.

The figure stepped forward as Heero could only see this person's eyes. Heero noticed one of the person's eyes was silver and the other was a dark crimson red. "No need to fire…I'm just here to give you this…" the person said. He stepped aside and there was a large cube shaped object.

Heero took one look at the object, letting his sights off of the person for one second. The person noticed this and moved quickly. He moved his foot and kicked the large object with ease. The large object slid over to Heero, who managed to dodge it just in time. He had one knee down and aimed the gun at the person, only to see no one there. "What the..?"

Heero stood up and put his gun back in his jeans. He looked over to the object with curiosity. The object was quite larger than he thought. It seemed to be something he'd put in a mobile suit. He walked over to it and noticed a note attached to the object. He read the message, noticing there were installation instructions and reasons for the object. "Neutron Jammer Canceller?" He said in confusion.

Heero installed the device into the suit. He felt that there was something to this device and to that person that he encountered. Following his emotions, installing it was the best option he had given the situation. He routes the device to activate by a switch in the cockpit. After a few days of nonstop building, Heero looked at the completed mobile suit. Heero heard an alert from his laptop as he read the message. "Hmm…"

* * *

><p>A week later, the pilots and Preventers met at Quatre's conference room. Quatre looked around as he smiled at everyone present. He glanced over to the monitor seeing Zechs and Noin. Due to the Mars Terra-forming project, Zechs and Noin could not physically be at the meeting and thus the communication line was established so they could participate in the meeting. Quatre noticed one pilot was not in the room, but knew that Heero must have gone to do his own investigation on this matter.<p>

"Well since everyone's here, let's begin" Quatre started the meeting off by displaying the message that everyone received. "You all received this message from me. I received it from Heero." Quatre said. Duo rested one of his arms on the table as he crossed a leg, resting it on top of the other leg. "So Heero have something to do with this? After all, he's not here."

"He's not the one that sent me this, and besides, Heero's not that kind of person. We all know that!" Quatre said as he tried to defend his friend. Quatre moved to the side as he showed the details of the message, displaying blueprints of some machine. "It seems like someone has created a dimensional device. The message provided an area for us to search." Quatre showed everyone the coordinates on a map.

"That's…" Zechs spoke out, knowing the location all too well. "I know, and we all know. It's the location where Libra blew up years ago." Quatre interrupted. Trowa looked at him calmly, "So what are we dealing with here? White Fang remnants?" he asked wanting to get to the point.

"Possible. We've dealt with them before…" Quatre replied. He moved on to the next matter at hand. "I tried tracing the original message that Heero sent me. I came up with nothing…even my personal software couldn't locate the origin"

Wufei glanced at Quatre and narrowed his eyes. "How can you be sure that the message is legitimate? We've all seen it, but do you truly believe in what this message says?" he questioned.

"Heero sent it to me. He's not here right now; want to take a guess at where he is?" Quatre asked. Everyone grew silent, knowing the "perfect soldier" all too well. Wufei leaned on the walled closing his eyes, acknowledging his defeat in the conversation. "Fine, so what are we going to do about this?" he asked in his cool yet assertive tone.

"We have to deal with this since we have the edge in surprise." Quatre paused for a moment. "I know with the disarmament act, all mobile suits are unavailable to us."

"You're wrong about that." Heero said. Everyone glanced toward the door seeing Heero. Duo stood up and then approached his old "no smiles" friend. "So where were you, Heero?" he asked putting a hand on Heero's shoulder. Heero grabbed his hand and moved it off of his shoulder, looking at him with the same serious eyes he always gave everyone. "Had things to tend to…" he said. Duo looked down, sighing heavily. "Always mister serious…"

Quatre smiled at Heero. "Welcome Heero. Now what do you mean about me being wrong about available suits?" he asked smiling hopefully. For once, Quatre was hoping that he was wrong.

"The Preventers keep Taurus units on standby, in case of emergencies." He commented. Noin's eyes lit up as she smiled. "Oh yes, you're right!" she said. Trowa closed his eyes and opened them once more glancing at the monitor. "That may be true, but the Taurus' are outdated."

"It sounds to me like we need new gundams." Wufei said. His comment caused a moment of silence as everyone knew that that would bring in their peaceful world. Quatre put both of his hands down on the table and sighed. "We should see what we're dealing with before we build new gundams. In a world of peace, Gundams would only bring about war…"

"Quatre, no one here wants to see new gundams built in an era of peace, but you must remember that to keep this peaceful era; we must defend it by all means necessary." Trowa encouraged.

Quatre closed his eyes tightly, it went against all he believed in, but in his heart, he knew it was the right thing to do. "Alright….we'll get started on the new gundams. Heero, what have you found so far on this matter?" Quatre asked. Heero stood by the door as he looked back at Quatre. "Not much. The things I did weren't directly related to the message. I'm going to check things out now."

Quatre was left with a confused look as if he was joked with. "Huh…." Duo chuckled at Quatre's expression. He glanced up thinking for a moment. _"I've nothing better to do so…"_ he rushed to the door. "Wait up, Heero. I'll go with you." He shouted as he left the room.

* * *

><p>Heero and Duo left in a shuttle as they headed toward the location to begin their search. Duo was at the controls of the ship as he glanced over to Heero. "So what did you do while you were away huh?" Heero seemingly ignored Duo as he concentrated on the mission, trying to find anything out of the ordinary. "None of your concern, focus on the mission." He said flatly. The shuttle continued heading further out into space. After a long moment of flying and searching, Duo noticed the wreckage of mobile suits and some ship parts of Libra. "Is it me, or do those parts look like they're floating around something?" he asked. Heero looked closely as he noticed something coming into view.<p>

"A meteor base….probably one from the previous war." He said. "Great…and here I was hoping things were all a joke so I could go home and tell Hilde a good joke." Duo said as he sighed.

Inside the meteor base, the male had his things ready to go when he heard an annoying alert that sounded. "Damn that really wakes up the ears." The male said it a raspy, old voice. He stepped over to the lights and flipped the switch. The lights came on, revealing the male to be an old scientist. The scientist looked at the radar and noticed an object nearing his base. "Have I been jeopardized? But how!" he questioned. He sighed and came up with a counter plan. "I'll just have the mobile dolls eliminate my problem before it becomes a real issue." He said.

The scientist typed on the computer as the black empty room in front of him brightened with the light of many mobile doll eyes. "Whoever you are, you won't be able to survive the onslaught of these dolls. Go and thank your precious disarmament for that when you go to hell!" the scientist yelled, assuming that the object was just some easy picking Preventer agents.

The shuttle came closer to the base when Heero and Duo noticed something launching from the base. "What are those?" Duo asked. The screen brought them a closer view of the suits. "Virgos…first and second models…" Heero said. Duo gritted his teeth, "Damn it, we're in trouble…" Duo felt his adrenaline kicking in. They only had two Taurus units with them and with both units of Virgos on the attack, even their skills wouldn't save them in this predicament. "So what should we do?" Duo asked.

Heero typed on the laptop and closed it. He stood up and headed for the small hangar in the ship. "Where are you going?" Duo asked. "Just get to the base, I'll cover you." Heero said as he left. Heero got into one of the Taurus units. Heero glanced up seeing Duo looking at him like he was beyond insane. "You're a crazy guy, I know that, but going up against forty units in just a Taurus? What did you take?" Duo asked. He seriously thought Heero had gone over the deep end and was on some sort of psychological medication.

"I'm not fighting them directly. I'm intercepting something at a decided point. The Taurus has enough speed to get me there." Heero explained. "Well what are you getting?" Duo asked, puzzled and curious at what Heero was so determined to get.

"I'm getting Zero…"

Hearing the great news, Duo smiled. It was as if a new door opened to show the hope in their depressing situation. "Huh, well go then, I'll get to the base." Duo said disconnecting the communication line. The hatch opened as the connectors released. Heero closed his eyes as he felt the suit drift out into space. He opens his eyes and proceeded to intercept Wing Zero and transfer to the Gundam.

The Taurus flew at great speed. The presence of a mobile suit distracted a large group of the mobile dolls as they chased after Heero's unit. Duo looked at the remaining dolls and smiled. "Now this is much better!"

He pushed the controls forward as the ship proceeded through. Duo maneuvers the ship as best he could to dodge the mobile doll's deadly accurate shots. Even with his skillful piloting, the shuttle was still hit by the mobile dolls shots. The side was hit and broke through the exterior. Duo glanced down at the screen noticing that there was significant damage. "Damn these mobile dolls keep getting smarter and smarter! What happened to old classic human pilots?" he complained.

The base came into his few as he continued on, despite the damage to the ship and the decreasing oxygen. Duo set the ship on autopilot as he rushed to get the helmet and oxygen tank to complete his space suit. He grabbed two cable cords and went out of the ship, connecting one to the ship and connecting the other to the base. He connected both lines together and used that as his life line to prevent himself from drifting out to space. The mobile dolls continued their attack as their shots got multiple direct hits. The ship exploded as Duo was pushed toward space

He quickly grabbed the remaining line still connected to the base and pulled, landing on the meteor base. Duo stood looking at the demolished ship, "I really hope Heero did get Zero and not try to be suicidal in that Taurus…" Duo groaned, realizing that Heero would be his only ticket back home. Duo found the entrance and entered, closing the door. He pulled out a pistol and proceeded to search the base for any other signs of life.

* * *

><p>Out in space, the mobile dolls continued to fire at Heero. Heero used the Taurus' high mobility to dodge the shots. He slowed the mobile armor down as it drifted behind a few Virgos. Heero acted quickly, firing the beam rifle connected to the suit at the rears of the Virgo I units. Heero pushed the controls forward as the Taurus' thrusters burst. It flew through the smoke and continued on course.<p>

Heero glanced behind, seeing the number of suits left. He turned his attention to the screen when he heard the alert. The camera zoomed in on another mobile armor flying toward Heero at a faster rate. "Hmm…" Heero grabbed the controls tightly as he performed a barrel roll. The suit spun as it continued running away from the mobile dolls.

The mobile armor that headed toward Heero stopped as it floated, drifting in space. Heero maneuvers the Taurus toward the mobile armor as he ejected the rifle from the mobile armor. The rifle was destroyed by the mobile dolls fire, giving Heero a brief cloud of smoke to get out of the Taurus. The mobile armor was static. It was soon destroyed by the mobile doll's cannon. This seemed to work out toward Heero's plan as this caused the mobile dolls to stop; assuming that they're task was complete. This gave him time to activate the system for combat purposes.

The light from the sphere in the center of the cockpit glowed as Heero acted quickly. He only had a short moment before the explosion ended, and with it, his cover. The Mobile armor began transforming. The back wing binders folded in, the lower half of the body rotated and the feet extended out, the shield disconnecting from the back and connected onto the forearm. When the light from the explosion subsided, the mobile dolls searched for any signs of life. In front of the mobile dolls was the Wing Zero, the infamous gundam that had a major role in ending both conflicts in the past three years.

The Wing Zero had most of the standard gundam colors, sporting a red and blue torso while most of the body was white. The red shield gave it a distinctive look due to the shape which resembled a bird's beak. The mobile dolls got into formation as the system recognized the gundam. The Wing Zero raised its twin buster rifle and charged up a blast.

Heero gave a small smile as he pulled the trigger. The twin buster rifle fired off a large beam that rushed toward the mobile dolls. The mobile dolls tried to use their planet defensors, but the force behind the blast was too strong. Five mobile dolls were obliterated by the beam. Suits near the beam suffered damaged due to the electromagnetic field effect of the rifle's beam. The Gundam's eyes glowed as the suit zoomed in on incoming suits.

The Wing Zero moved its rifles over to its left hand and pulled out a beam saber contained in the shoulder armor. The saber turned on, as a fiery green beam extended out of the handle. The wing binders opened, revealing two more powerful thrusters. The thrusters ignited, pushing the gundam toward the group of mobile dolls.

* * *

><p>In the meteor base, Duo looked around, checking every corner. He looked in every room, noticing that all of the rooms were empty. He sighed. "You know, if it weren't for those mobile dolls and the ship blowing up, I'd say this was an empty base." He commented.<p>

Duo went down the hallway and noticed that the end of the hallway was bright. Taking a closer look he saw a door at the end of the hallway. This door seemed very different from the others. It was larger, seemed more durable, and had two coded pads on both sides. "Looks like this is it…" He said as he assumed he found the correct door. He held the pistol in both hands rushing down the hallway. He stopped at the door and looked at the make and model of the coded pads. He smiled as he stepped back, aiming at the pads. Two shots fired as the pads were destroyed. Duo moved to the side as he saw the door opening. He paused for a moment until he heard someone's voice. "Ah Welcome Mr. Maxwell…"

Duo stepped in front of the door aiming his gun. He entered slowly and looked around. At the top of the platform he saw an old man. He quickly turned his gun pointing it toward the old man. "Who are you and how do you know my name?"

"A name," the old man said as he stepped down toward Duo's level. "Stop or I'll shoot you old timer!" Duo warned. The old man showed no fear to Duo's warning and continued moving. He stepped toward the computer and pressed a few keys. Duo paused. "What are you doing? I said don't move!" Duo shot a round at the old man's hand.

Duo was slightly surprised that the man moved his hand away so quickly, avoiding the shot. "Alright, I'll stop, but why don't you look in front of you," the old man said. He moved aside as Duo kept his aim. Duo glanced over to the machine in front of him as he saw the machine hum with life. He watched, as if hypnotized by what happened in front of his eyes. The portal formed once more, showing Duo images of mobile suits he'd never seen before.

Duo let his guard down slightly, astounded by what he witnessed. "You actually did it…this machine…it's actually a dimensional portal…." He said not believing in his own words. The old man approached the portal and looked back at Duo smiling. "Well, Mr. Maxwell, I'll be seeing you later."

The old man stepped into the portal and was halfway through when Duo fired a round at him. The shot missed the old man but hit the machine. The bullet hit a small glass like orb on the machine as it began making odd sounds. "W-what did you do!" the old man shouted before being sucked into the portal. Duo watched in horror as this portal grew. It began sucking everything into its mouth.

He turned around and hauled ass. The portal sucked in everything in the room, breaking the platforms and pulling in all the papers and computers. The room was literally collapsing into itself. Duo closed his eyes worriedly, "Man, I do not want to be sucked into that thing. Heero! You better get over here!" he yelled as he continued running for his life

* * *

><p>Back in the battle, Wing Zero dominated the mobile doll forces. It swung its saber down on one unit and stopped halfway. Heero turned the suit as the Wing Zero slashed two suits that were behind it. In less than ten minutes all of the mobile dolls were destroyed. The Wing Zero turned its head looking over to the base. "Something's wrong…" Heero said. His eyes glowed a bright yellow for a brief moment before he headed toward the base.<p>

* * *

><p>Duo ran into a room closing the door as he tried to protect himself. The portal extended beyond the room and continued taking everything in. The portal stabilized itself and grew more and more. It no longer needed the machine to maintain its form. Duo closed his eyes as he hoped for the best. He opened them. Duo saw portions of the room disappearing, being replaced by the growing portal. "Damn it, I guess this is it. Kind of thought I'd die in a mobile suit battle…but oh well…"<p>

Duo looked up seeing part of the destroyed ship. He reached with all his might and grabbed ahold of the ship, clinging onto it for dear life. Duo's memories flooded his mind as he thought he was truly going to die. "I guess I couldn't live up to the Maxwell name...all I've done was take the lives of others…and yet…." He had a final image of Hilde in his head when he heard Heero's voice.

"Duo!"

Duo looked up to see the Wing Zero grabbing a hold of the shuttle piece. "Hold on." Heero said. The thrusters on the Wing Zero exploded with fury as the Wing Zero tried to pull the piece away from the portal.

The cockpit was blaring with multiple alerts. Heero looked down noticing one of the alerts was for a mobile suit behind him. The Wing Zero turned its head, giving Heero a view of the suit. His eyes widened with shock. Far away from the portal was a mobile suit that seemed too familiar. It had the same look and armaments of Wing Zero but the color was dark and red.

This Wing Zero raised its twin buster rifle as it fired a powerful red beam. Heero watched the beam rushing towards them. He looked into the twirling portal and then at the incoming beam. The cockpit was red; the systems began blowing up as smoke filled the cockpit.

Heero had few choices at hand; either die at the hands of the beam blast, or go into this portal and see where they'd end up. He grunted as he made his decision. "Damn it!" Heero typed a message and sent it to his comrades. He cut the thrusters off as the Wing Zero was pulled into the portal. The portal closed quickly as it reacted to the Gundam's gundanium armor. The red beam went through the closing portal hitting nothing.

The dark Wing Zero lowered its rifle as a figure sat at the cockpit. "It's only fitting for soldiers to keep on fighting. It's their only purpose to exist. Let's see if you truly are the perfect soldier, Heero Yuy." The figure said as he grinned. He sighed heavily as he looked down to his necklace. He opened the locket and looked at the photo inside.

* * *

><p>Back at the L4 colony cluster, the new gundams were still under construction as frame pieces were being put together. Quatre stood, watching over the progress. He noticed a message on the corner of his electronic pad. He opened the message, reading it. He sighed heavily. "We've got to hurry. Who knows where they are." He said worriedly<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Gundam Seed

Recap:

_Heero faced a daunting situation. Go into the portal, or risk being killed by the incoming blast? Making a hasty decision, he cuts off all of the thrusters, allowing the Gundam to be sucked into the portal, avoiding the blast. But was this the right decision?_

Chapter 2: Away from Home

A loud explosion sounded as flames rose up, surrounding the military base. A Leo suit caught aflame and fell over to the nearby civilian building. A young fifteen year old boy watched in horror as his supposed "perfect mission" had failed. He watched as people rushed out of the collapsing building, trying to flee for their lives. The crumbling building showed no mercy as the large pieces fell onto the fleeing residence.

Hours after the devastating incident, after all of the people and newscasters left, the boy returned. He walked slowly looking around at the destruction he caused. He stopped in front of a piece, noticing a puppy that he had met, just hours before his mission. He picked up the dead puppy as he walked away holding a yellow flower that an innocent girl gave him, the image blurred away and revealed darkness.

* * *

><p>A light groan escaped the battered pilot's lips. He blinked a few times as he regained in composure and sense of where he was. <em>"Why did I have that dream again? It's been two years since the last time."<em> He thought. He felt himself weighed down and in a laying position. He deduced that he was on Earth, or some place with gravity. His body hurt all over, but it wasn't something he couldn't handle. It all felt like a bad bruise. He moved his hands, feeling a numb sensation. "_I'm more injured than it seems."_

The pilot waited for a moment until sensation returned to his limbs. He took slow deep breaths and glanced over to his right arm. He felt a liquid dripping down on his arm. He was all too familiar with the feeling of this liquid, its sticky, thick and warm feeling could only mean one thing: blood. Heero kept calm as he concentrated on taking control of the situation.

"I got to stop the bleeding…" Heero reached over to the side of the seat. Pushing a release button he heard the sound of gears releasing something. He reached into the storage compartment and pulled out a jacket. In the pitch black cockpit, the jacket had no distinctive colors. He moved his left hand which seemed to be in a better state than his right. Reaching down he pulled out a hidden knife stowed under the cockpit seat.

He struggled slightly as he cut the sleeve off and then in half. He wrapped and tied the ripped cloth around his wound. He lightly winced when he tied the knot tightly. "That should take care if it for now, but…" Heero looked at the cockpit noticing the condition it was in. He moved the controls back and forth to get no response from Zero. "Hmm…"

Heero took off the belt that confined him to the cockpit seat and reached up touching a panel that slid open, revealing a button. He pushed the button as the hatch opened. Slowly he pushed the cockpit open, letting a wave of heated air into the cockpit. He stood on the back of the seat and climbed out of the cockpit. Putting his hands on the opening he could feel the heat from outside. The sun had heat up the armor like a frying pan under a hot stove.

Even though he was injured and in pain he got out of the suit quickly, or risk having his body burned from contact with the hot armor. He sat on the suit for a moment and looked around. He felt his face hit with the hot air. Looking around he saw that wherever he landed, it was in some desert. _"Earth…"_ he thought.

The sand mounts were high and the bright yellow orange sand only made the beating sun that much more difficult to tolerate. Heero put his hand over his eyes shading them from the intense sunlight as he turned his head left and right looking for what else could be around the area. He stopped when he noticed some sand covered wreckage. Heero's eyes widened, remembering the last incident that occurred before arriving in this desert.

* * *

><p>Heero jumped down onto the sand and held his bad arm for a moment and kept it in a position that would slow down the bleeding. He dragged himself toward the wreckage and brushed the sand off. He moved a piece of the wreckage out of the way to see Duo injured and nearly unconscious. He knelt down and held Duo up for a moment. "Hey, wake up!"<p>

Duo opened his eyes as his brightened eyelids blurred off as he saw Heero looking up to him. He took in a breath and felt the heated air go through his lungs. _"Just great…first it was the freezer of space and now into the frying pan of the desert."_ He thought. Heero sat Duo up in an upright position, leaning him on to the piece of ship armor.

"How are your wounds?" Heero asked. Duo took a moment to catch his breath as he looked down to see the cuts and bruises. "I'm fine….just dandy. I've had worse injuries than this…"

He glanced over to Heero's arm and looked up at him. "But you've got a more serious injury…you going to be alright?" he asked.

"I'll live…" Heero said calmly. He somewhat lied. Both he and Duo were in a serious predicament, they were injured, out in the desert, with no help. Heero looked around at the endless sea of sand and then looked up to see not one cloud in the sky. There was a moment of silence as both pilots tried to think up of a plan. Duo sighed and glanced over to the sand covered Wing Zero.

"So when did you fix Wing Zero?" he asked.

"Hm?" Heero wasn't paying much attention but then looked over to Zero. "I didn't. I used the blueprints Quatre used when he first built Zero." He explained.

"Ah, okay" Duo said nodding slightly. "Still usable?" he asked. From a distance, Duo could see some of the armor was worn out for some reason and it didn't seem as bright as it normally did.

Heero looked down at the sand beneath his feet as he answered. "No the reactor's not supplying power. It might have been damaged. I'll check it to make sure."

Duo sighed heavily, "Oh great…we'll die for sure!" he complained. Heero was deep in thought as he tried to remember what that Wing Zero look alike was all about. He lost his train of thought for a moment and glanced down at the groaning pilot. "Do you ever shut up?" he asked.

Duo glared at Heero for a moment. "You know, being in a peaceful era's not all that peaceful!" he yelled. Heero didn't say anything in response as he knew what Duo meant. _"I'm not the only one that's having difficulty…"_ he thought.

Heero left Duo as he headed toward Zero. He stood in front of the machine, examining it carefully. At a closer look the machine seemed in worse condition than it originally seemed. Some parts of the armor were gashed open as if it was struck by a beam weapon. The odd thing though, was that these openings didn't seem to have and distinguishing burn marks that would be apparent from the beam. The armor was dirty with sand and dust, the gleaming white armor tainted, covered in sand and its hue, a slightly pale yellow.

He grunted lightly using his bad arm to help him up the suit and jumps back into the cockpit. He opened another storage compartment and pulled out his laptop. He connects the laptop to the system and turned on the computer

Typing away at the keys he noticed everything was fine, albeit minor damages. "Why won't it power up…?" he questioned.

* * *

><p>Outside Duo stood up and leaned on the wreckage, using it as leverage. He looked down seeing a long old metal bar and grabbed it. He walked slowly toward Wing Zero as he used the bar as a cane to keep himself standing.<p>

Standing in front of the gundam Duo thought back to all of the troubles that this unit caused the five pilots during the war. "I will never understand how you can pilot such a monstrosity of a suit, Heero" he said quietly. "That things nothing but trouble…"

* * *

><p>Inside the cockpit Heero continued finding another means to power up the suit again. "I've tried all possible solutions..." he paused as something flooded back into his mind. "The Neutron Jammer Canceller..." he said. <em>"Did that person predict that Zero would end up inoperable?" <em>he thought. Heero sighed; it seemed that today was not his day.

He ran into a multiple situations that required him to do something rash. He reached over to the switch he designated as the switch for the Canceller. He turned it on and then waited as he heard a slight distant humming behind him.

He then tried turning on the system and waited. After a few minutes the sphere in the center lit up as the cockpit activated. The suit moved slightly startling Duo as he fell down onto the sand.

"_Whatever this Neutron Jammer Canceller is, I'll have to use it for now…"_ Heero said as he assumed that the Canceller was the device that powered the suit. He would have to look more closely into the mechanics of the device to learn all of its functions. The night was drawing close as Heero turned the Wing Zero around. Standing the suit up, the sand fell off of the suit, raining down on Duo.

Duo turned and covered his eyes. By the time Heero positioned the Wing Zero into a better position, Duo was buried in the sand. Heero looked down at the sand seeing Duo move and propped his head up from the sand. "Hey! Give a warning next time!" he yelled.

Heero gave a light smirk as went on to look at all the other systems on the suit, checking, making sure everything was operational. He narrowed his eyes and sighed. "Communications are okay…but there's nothing active around here." He said to himself looking at the maps.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere late that night the Archangel docked in the sand as they had just survived a difficult landing caused by an obligatory battle during their atmospheric descent. The ship itself was in decent condition after its botched descent. While the ship seemed unaffected by the events, it was a completely different story for the crew. Everyone was exhausted by the descent and took turns patrolling. During their clumsy landing, they inadvertently landed in Zaft Territory.<p>

* * *

><p>Outside in the desert night, a man looked at the ship through binoculars. He adjusted the distance on the binoculars to get a better view of it. The shape of the ship looked like it was modeled in the form of the great Sphinx of Giza. The colors were difficult to point out but the white stood out in the darkness of the night. He leaned on the bed of sand as he continued his observation of the ship.<p>

A brown haired man approached the observer. The man was of middle age, holding a coffee cup and wearing a light jacket to combat the cold night. The observer could feel the sand behind him moving and lower. He pulled the binoculars away from his eyes and looked up at the man.

"Commander Waltfeld, what are you doing here?" he asked. Commander Waltfeld looked down at the young soldier. His skin had a dark tan hue. His short red hair complimented his small shaped head.

"I'm just out here enjoying the night. Now nothing wrong with that, is there Decosta? " He simply replied. He turned and looked toward the Archangel. "So, how is this so called _Big Angel_ doing?" He asked. Decosta stood up saluting his commander in a formal military fashion before he reported his findings.

"No Sir! No movements whatsoever,"

Waltfeld thought for a moment and smiled slightly. "Must be due to the N-jammers; they're messing up the radio conditions on the Earth's surface. So for now, she's tucked in and sleeping" He took a sip of his coffee before heading back to his soldiers. Decosta followed his commander readily.

Waltfeld stopped in front of a group of soldiers who stood in front of Bucues. Waltfeld gave a motivating speech to his soldiers and gave them their orders. The soldiers got into their units and moved out, heading toward the Archangel.

* * *

><p>Inside the Bridge, everyone seemed to take the night shift calmly, assuming that nothing would happen. Their "calm" night ended as the sensors detected multiple units. Everyone rushed to their stations as the ship entered level two battle stations.<p>

In a dark room a young teen woke up responding to the alarm. His eyes widened as he assumed the ship was going into another battle. "The enemy!" he said aloud. He stood up putting his clothes on quickly. "No more lives will be lost because of me." He said as he put his belt on.

In the bed he slept in a young red-haired female sat up looking at him. Her eyes still closed then opened. She was naked but the blankets covered her body from any other person from seeing her. She glanced over to the male and watched him leave as the door opened, letting in light for a short moment. She lied back down and laughed insanely. "Go on, kill them all. Protect us. With your life!" she said crazily.

* * *

><p>Back in the Bridge an older woman with brown hair sat at the center chair, indicated for the captain. She was dressed in a white uniform. The uniform wrapped around her body smoothly but her heaving breasts were still apparent. "All pilots standby. Get me a view of the enemy!" she ordered.<p>

* * *

><p>In the hangar, the two pilots manned their machine. The young teen wore a blue and white piloting suit. He rushed into his machine, a mobile suit that had cunning features of a gundam. The color of the mobile suit was gray and dull. It seemed to have no distinctive color that made it stood out like a gundam. His machine is brought to the launcher as he waited impatiently for the order to launch<p>

Tired of waiting the young pilot opened a channel to the bridge. He looked to the small screen on the corner seeing a young female with light brown hair in a pink uniform somewhat similar to the captains. "Come on, where's the enemy? That's it! The Strike is launching! "He said impatiently.

The young female spoke moving closer to the screen as if to stop the young pilot. "Kira wait, not yet!" she said. Kira grunted impatiently as he closed the visor to his helmet. "Hurry up and open the hatch!" he yelled demandingly.

The young female glanced over to the captain as she looked at her worriedly. The captain sighed. "I don't like his attitude, but in this situation, we've little choice. Let him go." She ordered.

Below the captain's seat was a small section for soldiers that operated the sensors. A black haired woman sat at the center of this section. She wore a white uniform. Her violet eyes were stern and showed that she was strong willed and determined. She yelled out her orders. "Prepare the Strike for launch!"

In the launch bay, the Strike was equipped with a long ranged weapon that connected to a hard point on its back. The low lighting in the launch bay made it difficult to distinguish what color the weapon was, but due to its dark appearance the color had to be some sort of dark color. The suit bent its knees as it is launched out into the desert.

* * *

><p>Heero sat in the cockpit as he continued trying to work on Zero and get it running at a hundred percent. Duo was outside, using one of the wreckage pieces as a shelter of sorts to sleep. While Heero worked on the suit, Zero's eyes glowed. The sphere began showing icons and dots indicating enemy units. "Enemy suits….on Earth?" Heero said confusingly.<p>

"_That's impossible…The Preventers did all they could to eliminate all mobile suits on Earth…"_ He thought

Heero widened the search radius, using the Wing Zero's advance search eye and sensors. The screen displayed larger indications. "I'll have to get a closer look at it…but…" He stopped looking down at Duo. Heero sighed and chose to leave now, letting his ally rest. He let out a discomforting sigh as he looked at his arm. He had a small doubt in the back of his mind if he would be able to do any good in his condition.

Heero closed his eyes and pulled back on the controls. The wings moved, spreading out. The two back thrusters began glowing and ignited, sending Wing Zero into the sky. The loud engine woke Duo up as he was pushed back and was once again, buried in sand.

He stood up and looked up seeing the Wing Zero transforming into its neo-bird mode. He yelled at Heero as he watched the gundam leave. "Heero, you bastard! Where the hell are you going!"

Duo watched helplessly as the Wing Zero disappeared into the night sky.

* * *

><p>The Strike landed on the sand as its color changed from the dull gray to a red and blue color scheme that fit most gundams. The suits stood in an awkward position as its foot slid on the sand. Waltfeld and Decosta stayed in a jeep parked at a safe distance from the ship as they watched the Strike<p>

"So that's the new Earth Force's model? The GAT-X105 Strike?" Decosta questioned. Waltfeld looked at the suit through the binoculars and thought for a moment before giving his orders. "Send the Bucues."

Like moths to a flame the Bucues rushed toward the Strike. The Bucues rushed at him and knocked the Strike off balance. The Bucues turned around and headed toward the strike again firing their missiles at the suit. The Strike held its arm up in a defensive position as Kira grunted.

* * *

><p>Back on the Archangel, the captain noticed that the Zaft forces were using land based suits that were built for sand combat. "They're using…"<p>

Down below a young teen with glasses typed on the computer and looked at the screen. "Enemy suits identified, they're Bucues." He informed.

"Kira…" the light brown haired girl said worriedly.

The black haired woman looked over to the teen surprised by his words. "They're using Bucues?"

* * *

><p>Kira moved the targeting system over his eye. The Strike bent its leg, kneeling down on the sand. The Agni beam cannon mounted on its left side flipped under its arm as the suit aimed the cannon at the Bucues. The Bucues were in the center of the crosshair as he fired, but the suit moved to the side dodging the powerful beam easily. The Bucues were just too fast on the sand for the Strike to keep up with.<p>

"I don't' know how well you did fighting in space," one pilot said.

"But down here, Bucues rule!" the other completed.

* * *

><p>The black haired woman grunted as she issued her next order. "Fire sledgehammer missiles!"<p>

One of the soldiers to her right turned around and looked at her confusingly. "Why? The Strike is still out there. They'll also hit the Strike!" he said

"The Strike is equipped with Phase Shift armor, it can take it!" the black haired woman said, yelling at the soldier in a sense.

"Y-yes Lieutenant Badgiruel!" the soldier said, his words stuttering, showing signs of nervousness. The order transferred to the weapons control. Before the weapons could fire a soldier looked at the radar and noticed a new object approaching the battle. "Unknown object closing in on the battlefield!" the soldier said.

"What?" the captain asked. The captain felt deeply concerned about this situation. If this new object was a new machine from Zaft they would be dead before they reached their headquarters. Down below the Badgiruel was just as worried but she worried more over the possibility that it was a Zaft unit.

"Is it from Zaft?"

"I-I don't know. It's not in any of our databases. It looks like a mobile armor."

The captain turned toward the soldier. "Can we get a visual?" she asked. The soldier nodded bringing up the image to the main screen. The captain watched with slight curiosity and confusion. "What is that?" she questioned. She looked at the shape of the mobile armor and looked at how it moved, "It moves like a bird…" she said

* * *

><p>The Wing Zero cruised in swiftly into the battlefield. The search eye began scanning the area and showed Heero a lucid image of the battle below. "These mobile suits…" he said to himself. <em>"This isn't After Colony…." <em> He thought, realizing what had happened. Somehow the portal had sent the two gundam pilots to a different dimension. Heero slowed the suit down as he let the search eye bring up what available data it could on the suits down below.

The search eye brought up a blueprint like image of the Bucue. Heero noticed the suits features for desert combat immediately and put that into consideration as he thought about what he wanted to do concerning the situation at hand.

"It seems like wherever this is…mobile suits are still used as the tools of war…" Heero said. He sighed. He remembered the promise he made when he stopped Mariemaia. The sensors brought up an image of the Strike as it was bombarded with fire from the Bucues. "A gundam?" he questioned.

Heero wasn't sure who was right or who was wrong, but he did know one thing. Gundams stood for peace and Freedom. He knew who he would fight against, but now he had another issue to resolve, and issue that had plagued him since the day his mentor, Odin Lowe, died.

* * *

><p>Waltfeld looked up at the new mobile armor. "Is that one of the Earth Force's?" he asked. Decosta contacted the Lesseps to get conformation. He approached Waltfeld shaking his head "No sir, its unregistered."<p>

Waltfeld looked at the suit with the binoculars seeing the shape and make of the suit. "Shoot it down. I want it captured." He ordered. Decosta nodded and relayed the orders to the Bucues and choppers. The suits and choppers opened fired on Wing Zero.

* * *

><p>Heero maneuvers the suit and dodged all of the blasts easily, swaying left and right ducking and raising in one fluid motion. The Wing Zero displayed its great mobility and speed in the atmosphere as both forces were astounded by the machine's performance.<p>

"Once again I have to fight." He said. Heero sighed, closing his eyes as he had a long moment to himself, ruminating over the choices he had. Destroying mobile dolls was one thing, but going back to killing pilots was another.

It was a heavy conflict within the pilot. It was a choice of going back to killing people, or not killing and not helping. He opened his eyes. His eyes drastically changed. Where there was a hint of kindness in his eyes, now only coldness remained. "I'll do what I must…" he said.

The Wing Zero charged its rifles that were connected to its shield the tips glowed a bright yellow as the rifle charged. The pilots in the choppers were confused by what they witnessed, taking no countermeasures. In one instant the rifles fired and two large beams roared through hitting the choppers obliterating them. The nearby choppers tried to dodge, but they too were destroyed for some reason.

The Wing zero dove down and flew toward the Bucues, hover above the sand. Two crosshairs appeared on the black screen in front of him as Heero pulled both triggers on the controls. The buster rifle fired off two shots, about the same strength of a Virgo's cannon. The shots pierced the Bucues and destroyed them instantly.

Heero pushed a button on the panel as the suit transformed. The Wing Zero landed on the sand as it stood upright.

* * *

><p>Everyone on the battlefield was awe-struck. They stopped for a moment, completely taken by the new mobile suits quick movements. Never before had they seen a mobile suit with that much destructive force take out that many units so quickly. Kira watched with fascination at the machine as the sensors zoomed in. His eyes widened when he noticed the features the suit had. "Another one?" he questioned.<p>

* * *

><p>While everyone took an extreme interest in his suit, Heero adjusted the suit to the sand. He looked around and scanned the area. Counting the number of enemy units and potential hostiles, he comes up with a strategy to quickly eliminate the enemy<p>

* * *

><p>Waltfeld's eyes were just like everyone's: wide open. He calmed down and looked at the suit as he noticed right off the bat that it had a transformation mechanism. "It transformed, and the pilot has accounted for the sand" he said noticing the suit stood perfectly in the sand, unlike the Strike. <em>"Just who is this pilot?"<em> he wondered

* * *

><p>In the Archangel everyone watched the suit silently to see what it would do next. "What should we do about the suit, Captain Ramius?" Badgiruel asks.<p>

Ramius let out a sigh and thought quickly about her choices. "Everyone hold, we have to see what this suit will do next. It could be a friendly or a hostile. I want it marked down as a neutral for now" she ordered in a soft kind tone.

Badgiruel grunted as she disliked Ramius' kind nature. It wasn't fit for a captain to be kind in a situation like this. She couldn't really do much to respond though and thus, obeyed the orders given.

* * *

><p>The Wing Zero moved as everyone was tensed. The Bucue pilots held their controls tightly, some of them shaking with fear at facing someone with kind of piloting skill. "What should we do?" One of them asked his fellow comrades.<p>

"I don't know. Has the commander given us an order yet?"

"No, not yet."

The Wing Zero puts its rifle in its left hand as it bent its knees. Everyone's eyes gazed upon the gundam as it moved pulling out a saber from its shoulder armor. Heero looked at the Bucues as the crosshairs hovered over them. He moved the handle and grunted, finding it a bit painful from his injury. Fighting through the pain he successfully destroyed the units. One unit was cut in half, another was stabbed, and the other was destroyed by a downward angled thrust.

Heero turned the suit around. The two white armor pieces near the neck flipped over as machine cannons rotated, firing multiple rounds at nearby Bucues, destroying them.

* * *

><p>Kira glanced over toward the suit and opened a channel. "What should I do about the new unit?" he asked.<p>

Ramius' face narrowed and showed a small sign of confusion and doubt on what to do. She looked up at Kira, putting on a calm assertive attitude. "Continue destroying Zaft forces. Do not engage the unit unless it attacks us!" she ordered. She thought of something as her eyes widened. Turning around she looked at the light brown haired girl.

"Miriallia, contact the Skygrasper!"

Miriallia did as told as an image of a man in a blank and purple pilot suit filled up the front screen. "What is it, captain?" the pilot asks.

"I want you to launch and keep an eye out on that machine." She ordered. The pilot nodded and gave a hand gesture to her as he disconnected the line.

* * *

><p>The Strike flew up and aimed at the Bucues that remained near the Strike. As the suit descended Kira adjusted the suit to balance itself on the sand. When the suit landed and it stood on the sand, Waltfeld had a surprised look on his face.<p>

A Bucue rushed toward the Strike from behind, "Give up loser!" the pilot said.

"Huh?" Kira looked behind, seeing a Bucue trying to attack him. He moved the Strike and counterattacked, using the machines knee, kicking the Bucue away. The Zaft pilot yelled as his suit fell down onto the sand.

"You're going to pay for that!" a Zaft pilot yelled out.

Kira looked back seeing another attempt to attack his suit from the rear. This time he used the rear of the cannon to knock the suit back. The pilot grunted from the fall as he tried to get the suit back up. The Strike stepped on it and aimed its cannon at the Bucue.

"Have some of this!" Kira yelled

The pilot cowered in fear. He saw the light from the beam cannon charging. The cannon fired destroying the suit.

* * *

><p>Waltfeld looked on with the binoculars as he questioned. "Has this pilot done it too? Has he accounted the mobile suits movement in the sand?" The appearance of these two pilots and the odd mobile suit intrigued him. "Are these naturals? No. No natural could do that." He comments.<p>

* * *

><p>The Strike stood as the smoke from the destroyed Bucue rose into the sky, giving the Strike a fearful appearance. Kira breathed heavily as he looked to the left and right, seeing incoming suits. Two more Bucues rushed toward him. The Strike jumped back to give itself some distance between the quick moving Bucues.<p>

* * *

><p>Waltfeld smiled as he took action. "Relay this message to the Lesseps. Fire main cannons at the ship"<p>

* * *

><p>One of the Bucues fired off its missiles. Kira turned the Strike around and fired the machine cannons mounted on the right shoulder. The rounds destroyed the missiles before they could hit the suit. The suit jumped once again as the Bucues stopped, firing their weapons at the airborne Strike.<p>

* * *

><p>Heero continued to fight on despite the pain he felt. The more strain he put on his arm, the more it bled out. "Gr…"<p>

Heero switched over to the twin buster rifles as the Wing Zero stowed its saber away. The rifle split in two as each hand held onto one. Heero aimed at the Bucues and managed to destroy a good number of the units, but few managed to dodge, due to their design to work effectively in the desert environment.

Growing tired of this battle, Heero decided to end it. The Wing Zero flew up and spreads the cannons out to its sides. Heero prepared to spin the suit, despite the fact that it would put a great deal of strain on his arm. The rifle charged as the Bucues fired, trying to stop the suit from firing.

* * *

><p>Waltfeld looked up, noticing the suit in the sky. He turned around and ordered the target of the cannon shot be changed. He wasn't going to have his forces decimated by that suits rifle.<p>

* * *

><p>The cannon turned and aimed at Wing Zero. Heero pulled on the trigger as the Wing Zero fired its buster rifles. The Bucues tried to dodge, as they the pilots thought that the blasts would only be in one direction. Heero grunted as he turned the suit spinning it.<p>

As the suit spun Heero heard an alarm. Heero watched as his eyes widened slightly. The Lesseps' rounds soared through the sky heading towards Wing Zero. Heero was forced to stop the blast as he made an attempt to dodge. His arm gave a little and prevented him from; what would otherwise be, a successful dodge.

The Wing Zero was hit by one of the cannon's multiple rounds, the suit fell down landing on the sand.

* * *

><p>Waltfeld smiled as he assumed the suit to be severely damaged. His smile turned into a satisfied smirk when he noticed some of the rounds headed toward the Archangel's direction.<p>

"I got to promote whoever was the shot. Getting two birds with one stone, not bad at all" He said.

* * *

><p>On the Archangel La Flaga prepared to launch as he informed his launching status to Miriallia. "Skygrasper, launching!"<p>

The sensors beeped. It detected incoming heat sources as a soldier turned around looking at Badgiruel. "Incoming heat sources, they're from a coming from the southwest. It's a cannon blast!"

Badgiruel's eyes widened with shock.

Ramius overhead the soldier and ordered the ship to ascend. "Take off, evasive maneuvers!"

Kira looked up seeing the rounds flying passed him as he looked over to the Archangel.

The ship fired its cannons, as they rose up. The surrounding sand forced into clouds of dust. The ship shook as the rounds hit the ship. Ramius held onto her seat as her body jerked slightly. Her large breasts bounced briefly due to the shaking.

Inside the room, the red-haired girl looked around absentmindedly as she felt the ship shaking. She got dressed but kept her shirt on loosely, leaving it unbuttoned.

Back on the Bridge, Badgiruel looked over to the teen next to Miriallia. "Where is it coming from?" she asked

"Projected source, twenty kilometers, southwest." The teen answered.

"I'm afraid that's out of our range. So we can't mount a counterattack" a soldier informed.

Badgiruel grunted in annoyance. "I'll go mark the enemy with my laser designator. Then you can direct your missiles at that target." La Flaga said. Badgiruel cupped her hand over the earpiece and responded to La Flaga's suggestion.

"Its not like we have time to go searching for the enemy. And besides you're ordered to keep an eye on that other suit!"

* * *

><p>"Who says I can't do both? I won't stray too far from the battle or that machine." La Flaga said confidently. "We won't know until we try." He added as he typed at the pullout keyboard.<p>

"Just don't let them get you before then!" he warned.

The Skygrasper rolled onto the launch bay. The door behind it closed as the hatch in front opened. "La Flaga standby. Course clear, system all green." Miriallia called out on the intercom.

La Flaga looked up at the screen waiting for the Launch message to appear. Once he saw the blue message the Skygrasper bursts out of the Archangel. The fighter plane was colored an offset gray, the tip was black and thrusters were a mix of blue and orange.

* * *

><p>Waltfeld looked at the Skygrasper curiously. "That wasn't mentioned in the report."<p>

"Commander, look!" Decosta shouted. Waltfeld looked down at where the new machine had fallen. His eyes filled with shock when he saw the condition of the suit. "Undamaged…!" he questioned.

* * *

><p>Heero looked around seeing few suits remaining as some of them surrounded the other gundam type unit. "Hmm…" He turned his head towards the direction of the Lesseps. The Wing Zero looked up as Heero watched cannon blasts from the Lesseps hurling towards the Archangel.<p>

Bucues surrounded Zero as the pilots were bewildered by the suits condition. "What the hell is that thing?" one of the pilots shouted.

"I don't know, but that things going down!" one of them shouted. A Bucue charged in as it attempted to knock Wing Zero back down. The pilot smiled as he noticed that the suit did nothing. "Ha! Your suits only good for standing now huh!" he yelled.

His confidence turned into fear as Wing Zero turned and thrusts its shield into the suits torso area. Heero then pushed the left handle forward pushing a button on the side. The yellow tip on the shield protruded out, piercing through the cockpit, killing the pilot.

The suit exploded and fell off of the tip as the protruding piece returned to its standard form. Heero looked at the remaining units. _"I've got to end this now, I've lost too much blood already." _He thought. The Wing Zero's wing binders opened, revealing the extra thrusters. The suit flew pass the Bucues at blinding speed as Heero turned the suit around. The suit raised its arms and aimed at the suits.

One by one the suits fell to Wing Zero's rifles. Heero sat calmly in the cockpit as he sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but when fighting, he felt at home. "All I can do is fight…then so be it. I'll fight so Zero can show me my path." He said.

The Wing Zero flew up and headed toward the gundam type to assist the suit. _"The matter at hand now is to defeat those who attack me, then I'll decide on whether the gundam type is an enemy"_ He decided.

* * *

><p>Waltfeld glanced over to see all his units destroyed. He gritted his teeth in anger. "When does that suit lose is power…..or does it lose power at all?" he questioned. He watched the suit fly off toward the Archangel.<p>

"Order all our forces to destroy the Legged Ship and their suit. " Waltfeld ordered. _"Seems like that unit might be one of the Earth Force's new models. It's been attacking out forces single-handedly."_ He thought.

* * *

><p>Nearing the battle was a group of Jeeps and rebel fighters. They had RPG's and rifles ready to combat the Bucues. With them was a blond haired girl whose eyes had a gleam of determination.<p>

* * *

><p>In the Archangel a soldier informed Ramius of another wave coming toward them. "All hands! Evade it! Brace for sudden impact" she ordered.<p>

"It's going to be a direct hit." The soldier said. Ramius looked at him with a saddened sigh.

* * *

><p>On the battlefield the remaining Bucues surrounded the Strike. Kira noticed more rounds were coming from behind. Feeling the need to protect his friend, his body changed. His eyes were dilated. The Strike turned around as it fired its Gatling cannon on the sand, surrounding itself in a cloud of dust. The suit jumped up.<p>

A Bucue jumped up to intercept it but the Strike punched it. The Bucue was pushed into the cannon's range and some of the rounds hit the Bucue, destroying it. The Strike landed and turned toward the Archangel. Kira watched the rounds. To him they were heading to the ship slowly as he reacted quickly.

The Strike raised its cannon and fired twice, lengthening the blast. The beam protected the Archangel, acting like a shield against the rounds. Everyone on the bridge watched.

Waltfeld was taken aback by the sudden burst of increased piloting ability just displayed.

* * *

><p>Inside the room, the red-haired girl lied in bed smiling devilishly. "It will be all right. He will protect us. He will protect all of us, because he wants to protect me." Her eyes showed a lust for control as she laughed insanely.<p>

* * *

><p>The Strike fired its Gatling cannon at the Bucue. The Bucue dodged, jumping over the Strike. Kira prepared to fire the beam cannon once more when he heard the warning alert.<p>

* * *

><p>Back in the Archangel Miriallia heard the same alert and fear overcame her as she the concern she felt for her friend tripled. She turned toward Badgiruel, hoping that she would be able to do something to help Kira.<p>

"Lieutenant, the Strike's power level has fallen dangerously low!" Miriallia informed.

* * *

><p>Kira's eyes widened as he realized what had happened. "Damn. I used the Agni way too much…"<p>

* * *

><p>Waltfeld looked at a handheld electronic device that displayed the Strike's Fighting capabilities and arsenal. "It does seem to be an incredible machine, but our Intel indicates it should be out of power soon." He said closing the device. "Sorry for taking you out. It's just payback, for what you did…"<p>

He sighed and looked over toward where the Wing Zero was. "Now if only we had Intel on that unit…" he said quietly.

* * *

><p>Kira froze up as he was bombarded with missiles from the remaining choppers and Bucues. The suit fell back on the sand as Kira grunted. He sighed heavily, taking deep breaths. The situation seemed hopeless.<p>

Kira looked over to his right, seeing a yellow beam rushing toward the Choppers. The camera zoomed in as he saw the Wing Zero in its neo-bird mode.

* * *

><p>Heero fired the rifle and wing Vulcans at the choppers eliminating them easily. The suit transformed and landed. The wing binders opened up once more as the suit dashed quickly. Kira watched, astounded that the suit still operated at this level. He watched Zero take down nearly all of the Bucues.<p>

Heero stopped as the sensors detected incoming fire. A missile hits one of the few remaining choppers, destroying it. "Hm?" Heero glanced over as the Wing Zero brought up a visual.

* * *

><p>The rebel forces arrived they aimed their weapons at the remaining suits as they took their shots. The blond haired girl looked over to Wing Zero. At first her eyes showed confusion, but the confused look changed to anger as she thought of something.<p>

She motioned the driver over to the Strike as the Jeep stopped near the leg of the suit. The blond haired girl fired off a line that connected to the Strike's forearm. "Pilot of this mobile suit, if you want to live, do exactly as I say" She said.

* * *

><p>Heero watched with slight curiosity at what occurred in front of him. He hacked through the communication line and listened in.<p>

* * *

><p>Inside his cockpit, Kira heard the voice talking as he saw a map appearing on his screen. "There's a trap set at the location indicated. I'll need you to lure the Bucues there. And tell your ally to do the same." She said assuming the two suits were friendlies.<p>

* * *

><p>In the Bridge, Ramius watch and heard the young girl's voice. She was puzzled beyond belief. First the unknown mobile suit, now this?<p>

"What's that?" Badgiruel questioned.

"They're resistance fighters…" Ramius deduced

"They think that suit is our ally?" the young teen next to Miriallia said.

"Well it did help us out through this battle…" Miriallia said hesitantly.

* * *

><p>Decosta looked up at his commander. "Commander, those are the fighters from the Desert Dawn." He said<p>

Waltfeld crossed his arms and looked at the battle, "So, have they decided to save the Earth forces mobile suit?" he questioned. What bugged Waltfeld was not that the resistance group appeared, but the new mobile suit. The mobile suit alone wiped out a majority of his units. He would assume such a suit to have low operational time, and yet, here it was still fighting on like it had just launched.

* * *

><p>Heero heard enough, if the resistance group had a plan to destroy the rest of the units, he'd follow it. He sighed heavily as he pushed Zero toward the location. The Bucues followed him.<p>

Kira watched, confused as to why the pilot moved in the direction that the girl indicated. "What is going on?" he questioned.

* * *

><p>The driver in the jeep followed Zero. He smiled as more and more Bucues followed the unknown suit. "Talk about taking the bait…"<p>

The blond girl looked at Wing Zero, still having that curious look on her face. "They have a tasty bait…I guess." She said.

* * *

><p>Wing Zero hovered over the designated area as he waited for the units to gather. The jeep stopped just staying far enough to activate the trap, but not too close to be harmed by it.<p>

The detonation went off as the mobile suits exploded. Everyone watched the as the bright light dimmed revealing the dismantled suits.

Kira moved the Strike toward the location but stopped. The suit knelt down as it's Phase Shift armor deactivated. The Wing Zero landed as Heero glanced over to the suit, finding its loss of color intriguing, even for someone like him.

* * *

><p>Waltfeld looked on with anger. Never before had he lose so many units so quickly. He glared at the Wing Zero as he sighed. "Gather our remaining forces, we've achieve one part of the objective."<p>

"Uh sir…wasn't there just one objective?" Decosta asked.

Waltfeld ignored the question, not wanting to lash out in anger toward his most loyal soldier and friend.

* * *

><p>The Archangel's crew calmed down for the moment. Miriallia informs the captain of La Flaga's findings.<p>

"Message from Commander La Flaga. 'Located mother ship, but have decided against attacking. Enemy battleship is the Lesseps. I repeat; enemy battleship is the Lesseps' " she quoted.

Ramius looked over in shock. "Did you say Lesseps?"

"I don't understand," Badgiruel stated.

"That battleship is under the command of Andrew Waltfeld. So it was him, the Desert Tiger."

* * *

><p>Heero sat in the cockpit as Zero was a good few meters away from the ship and other people. He looked at the ship and thought of his options. <em>"In the situation we're in, asking for assistance may be the only option." <em> He thought as he still had to get Duo and himself proper medical attention

* * *

><p>Kira watched as the Zaft Forces left. He then turned, looking over toward Wing Zero. "That suit…." He said. Down below the blond haired girl glanced up at the Strike, giving it a displeased look. She then glanced over to Zero and narrowed her eyes in anger. <em>"Did you betray our ideals again, Father!" <em> She thought angrily


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing or Gundam Seed

Recap: _Heero discovered a mobile suit battle occurring near his location. Deciding to once again take the direction of a soldier, Heero returns to the battlefield. He assisted the Archangel against the forces of the Desert Tiger, Andrew Waltfeld. Now, he faced finding assistance for Duo and himself. Will joining the Archangel prove to be advantageous?_

Chapter 3: Decisions

The tension in the area was thick. The Desert Dawn appeared the Archangel, which had landed next to the Strike. A Jeep stopped next to the blond haired girl as a bearded man wearing a green bandana stepped out. He looked at her for a moment and then glanced at the machine she looked at, Wing Zero.

He sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll ask them about that unit as well." He whispered to her.

Inside the Strike's cockpit Kira glanced down toward the blond haired girl. The camera zoomed in on the girl, giving Kira a better view. He turned his head slightly in confusion. He felt as if he knew the girl from somewhere but he couldn't quite put his finger on it

* * *

><p>Inside Wing Zero, Heero watched the resistance fighters gathering at the machine. "Hmm…" he waited and watched the events unfolding. Judging from how they acted Heero deduced both groups were not affiliated with each other. He guessed that the situation would bring some hostility and his intrusion would only heighten the hostile intent he sensed.<p>

He leaned back and held his bloody arm, waiting patiently for the situation to dissolve.

* * *

><p>In the room the red haired girl covered her body with the blanket. The lights in the room were all turned off and the only visible light in the room was the television's bright light. She sat in front of the small screen, watching everything. She had a confused look in her eyes as she was unsure of what was going on.<p>

In the hangar, the Skygrasper docked as a blue haired male in mechanic overalls approached La Flaga. La Flaga took his helmet off and looked at the blue haired man. "Resistance fighters?" he questioned. The blue haired man reached into the machine and began moving things. He seemed to work on the machine quickly, prepping it for battle. "So it would seem…"

On the bridge Ramius and Badgiruel were discussing how to handle the situation. "We've got two forces, the Resistance Fighters and the pilot of that machine. How do you want to handle this Captain?" she asked.

Ramius looked over to the Wing Zero. The suit stood there, not moving one bit. She found it odd that the suit, while displaying similar characteristics to the Strike in some ways, it did not become dull gray. This left her with a growing curiosity of what exactly that unit was. She turned and looked over to the Desert Dawn. The group had assisted them against the Desert Tiger. She noticed that they were quick to approach the ship. This led her to assume that they had something of great importance to discuss.

"We'll deal with the matter at hand, and in my eyes, it's the resistance fighters." She ordered.

Badgiruel looked at the group and glanced down at the captain. "Do they appear friendly to you, captain?" She questioned.

"I don't see them pointing any weapons at us. Let's at least show them some courtesy and talk with them" Ramius suggested. She looked at how the group stood as she thought for a moment. "They seem open to it. This could really work out in our favor." She added.

Badgiruel looked down at the captain, not understanding why she would be so quick to suggest an alliance of sorts with the resistance group. She looked over to the Wing Zero and her eyes widened for a split second, realizing a plan. "Do you intend on asking the group to assist in the capture of that machine?" she asked.

Ramius ignored her question and stood up. She headed for the door and spoke before leaving. "You take charge while I'm gone." She ordered. Badgiruel looked at her, watching the captain leave. Ramius sighed as she waited for the elevator to head down to the bottom level.

La Flaga and other soldiers prepared for the meeting. By preparing, they readied their sidearm and rifles. Everyone stood by the door and waited for the captain to lead the way. "Man, oh man. I got to say, those Guerilla fighters look pretty shady" he said stretching the word "pretty" for a slight moment. He smiled at the captain as he put his right hand on his hip.

"I guess I should warn you. I'm not too good when it comes to these, sticky situations." He commented. Ramius gave a calming smile as the group headed out into the scorching desert. Ramius and La Flaga headed toward the Desert Dawn while the other soldiers stayed behind, hiding, ready to fire when ordered.

* * *

><p>Heero watched as he opened the communication line so he could hear everything said. He watched the meeting through the small screen on Zero's cockpit. "Hmm…." Normally Heero wasn't the type to pry into other people's businesses but he had to know what was going on, even if it was information that he would not completely comprehend.<p>

* * *

><p>The Desert Dawn looked at the approaching duo as they gave both of them a dissatisfied look, as if they disliked the Earth Alliance. Ramius and La Flaga stopped in front of the bearded man. "It's only proper that we thank you. After all, your entire group did have a hand in saving our ship and mobile suit. Murrue Ramius, I'm with the eighth fleet." She stated.<p>

A young boy standing next to the bearded man looked at her questioningly. "How is that? Wasn't the eighth fleet completely wiped out by the enemy?" the boy questioned. Murrue sighed calmly and quietly, she took note of the groups knowledge of what had happened to the eighth fleet. She proceeded with caution, as she didn't know how much the group knew of their expeditions.

The bearded man noticed the slight discomforting look on Murrue's face when the boy asked about the eighth fleet. He raised his hand to stop the boy from asking anymore questions. He introduced himself. "We are known as the Desert Dawn. I go by the name, Sahib Ashman." He looked directly at the captain before continuing. "You need not bother thanking us. I'm sure you understand, the reason we were fighting were not necessarily to protect you." Sahib gave a small glorified smile as he glanced at the two.

"We attacked them only, because they too are our enemy" he added.

La Flaga smiled, sensing the hostility was lightened. "You guys versus the Desert Tiger? Fighting for a while?" he asked. Sahib looked at La Flaga as he stared at him. "I recognize you, but I cannot say from how or from where." He said.

La Flaga gave a smile as if he enjoyed telling people of his name and accolades. "My name is Mu La Flaga." He said bring up his shoulders slightly. "Don't know a living soul in these parts."

Sahib smiled looking at him. "I never expected to meet the Hawk of Endymion in a place such as this." Mu and Murrue looked at him confusingly, surprised that this leader knew so much about the Alliance.

"You strike me as someone who's very well informed." Murrue said smiling at him. Mu narrowed his eyes slightly giving him a serious look. "Do you also know about us?" she asked.

Sahib smirked as he spoke. "You are the crew of the Earth Force's new assault ship, the Archangel, yes?" Once again the two gave Sahib a surprised look to see him state this fact. "You descended to Earth to escape La Crueset's team." Sahib glanced over to the Strike smiling.

"And that machine is…."

"X105 Strike" the blond haired girl finished. "That's what they call this thing. It's one of the Earth Forces new prototype mobile weapons." She added.

Murrue and Mu glanced over to the blond, surprised by her detailed description of the Strike. They wondered how she knew about the suit to such a detailed level. Sahib stood in front of the blond shielding her from the two. "So here we are. How good it is that we know who you are and you know who we are. I must say though, we were surprised that you landed in such and unfortunate location. I can only assume you landed in a place like this by accident, but now that you're here…" He looked at the two. "I'm curious to know what you plan to do."

Murrue was surprised by the kindness Sahib seemed to show them. She smiled as she spoke. "Can we count on your complete cooperation?" she asked. Sahib grinned looking at her. "If you're serious about talking then you should lower your guns first."

He looked toward the Strike. "He should do the same."

Everyone on the archangel was surprised that Sahib had known that they brought armed personnel to the meeting.

Murrue sighed, seeing no harm in just talking. "Very well, Ensign Yamato, come down here." She ordered. Kira released the belt harness. The cockpit opened as he grabbed onto the zip line and lowered to the ground. Everyone gathered, watching him approach the group as the Desert Dawn were curious as to whom the pilot was.

* * *

><p>Heero listened to the entire conversation and watched as the pilot left his suit. He relaxed his body and continued watching; all the while knowing that he too would have to leave his suit.<p>

* * *

><p>Kira removed his helmet as he looked at the group. Desert Dawn members talked amongst themselves surprised that the pilot was just a boy.<p>

"He's just a kid" one of them whispered

"Unbelievable…" another said

The blond haired girl's eyes widened, remembering who Kira was. She tightened her left fist and rushed toward Kira. "So it is you…" she said. Kira looked at her a bit confused by the situation. "Uh what…"

She had a difficult time keeping her emotions in as she spoke. "Why…what is someone like you doing here, huh?" She raised her hand and attempted to slap Kira, but he caught her hand holding her wrist. She tightened her hand into a fist as she tried to push on and punch him.

Kira looked at her as his eyes widened, remembering her from Heliopolis. "Ah…" He leaned in closer. "You're that girl I met back at Morgenroete." The blond girl gritted her teeth and pulled her arm back accidentally hitting Kira on his right cheek. Everyone sighed finding the situation awkward.

Kira held his cheek looking at her confused out of his mind.

Mu pointed toward the two looking at Murrue. "What was that?" he questioned.

Sahib approached the two as he looked at Wing Zero. Everyone grew silent as they all turned toward the suit.

"We don't know about that machine over there." He said pointing toward the Wing Zero.

Murrue sighed as she looked at him with apologetic eyes. "We don't' know either, it showed up in the midst of the battle and assisted us. As far as we know it could be Earth Alliance or Zaft."

Mu put his hands on his sides looking at the suit. "No, I think if it was Zaft, it would have attacked us by now instead of just standing there. Not to mention why Zaft would attack its own units?" he questioned.

* * *

><p>Seeing everyone gathered around his suit, Heero prepared to leave as Zero's eyes dimmed and the suit sounded as it went silent. The cockpit opened as a young man exited the machine. Everyone watched as the young man went down the zip line and stood on the sand. Kira slowly leaned toward the Strike ready to do something just in case things go out of hand.<p>

The first thing everyone looked at was the pilot's bloodied arm. It was like something that they couldn't keep their eyes off of, no matter how gruesome it looked. He walked with a slight limp, indicating he was badly injured. Murrue looked at the young man as kept staring at him. It was difficult not to look at this pilot due to his condition. It was hypnotizing. They found it so difficult to believe that a pilot in this condition could destroy the mobile suits so quickly.

Heero stopped as the sun shined behind him. He wore a dark green sleeveless shirt and light blue jeans. His whole body seemed battered and worn. Even though his body was in bad condition he still kept his demeanor, standing in front of the one he heard called Ramius.

Ramius paused for a moment, finding this person's appearance difficult to tolerate. She had heard of soldiers fighting on with wounds, but the condition of this pilot was ridiculous. The arm was wrapped with a cloth, the torn edges told her it was most likely from a shirt or jacket. The color of the cloth was dark and drench in blood. The position he put his arm in bothered her. He didn't seem to be troubled over his obviously serious injury. She cleared her throat and then approached the young male. Mu stood ready to defend the captain, but with the condition the pilot was in, he found him no threat to the Captain's life.

"I am—"

"Murrue Ramius…I heard…" he said slightly weakly. She looked at him questioningly. "How do you know my name?" she asked, she was not afraid of the young man due to his condition, but she stayed at arm's length, fearing the look in the man's eyes.

Heero sighed as he spoke. "I've heard everything, now let's get to the point." He said. Heero glanced behind him. The sun was getting higher and higher, indicating it was most likely near midday. He had to speed things up or Duo would die of heat exhaustion and dehydration.

He paused so Murrue and everyone else could take this in. There was a moment of silence while he paused. Everyone seemed impatient as they stood silently; waiting for his words as if it were the air they could not live without.

Murrue took a brief moment and looked at the young man, nodding so he would continue.

"My name is Heero Yuy. I'd like to ask for your assistance." He asked. There was a tone in his voice that seemed like discomfort. It was true. To Heero, asking for help was something he almost never did, it was foreign. It was only recently that he started to open up. He was used to relying on himself, but this time he couldn't think only about himself as he had to think about Duo's wellbeing along with his own.

Normally Murrue retorted to such a request, but Heero seemed in such a bad shape that her kind-hearted nature couldn't refuse his need for help. She smiled at him. "Of course, we wouldn't be alive if not for your help. We'll do everything we can."

"I understand, I'll return shortly." He said turning around heading back to his suit.

Murrue stepped forward extending her arm out as she asked. "Where are you going?"

Heero stopped looking back for a moment. "I'm picking up an ally of mine. We landed in the desert and he's been out stranded for a while."

Murrue looked at Heero's eyes. It gave her a chilling feeling for some reason. It was unfathomable for her to look at Heero as a young man. To her, his demeanor displayed him as a hardened veteran, rather than a typical teenager.

"I understand," she said. She stepped forward a bit. "Will you be able to find our ship? We're most likely going to leave this location…" she told him. Heero turned around looking at her. "As long as you're not too far away, I'll be able to find you." He said.

Everyone watched as the wounded soldier got back into his suit. The eyes flashed a bright green before the suit headed off into the horizon.

* * *

><p>In the Bridge, Badgiruel narrowed her eyes in anger. <em>"Why are you so calm and open Murrue!" <em>she thought. The thought of working with the resistance fighters agitated her enough already, but allowing this unknown pilot to join their ship? She couldn't take it. She grunted in anger and left the bridge. She needed time to cool off. If she didn't she'd cause more trouble than needed.

A blue haired man sitting at the helm of the ship watched Badgiruel leaving. He sighed as he kept his eyes on her until the door closed.

* * *

><p>Mu approached Murrue to discuss the situation at hand with the young pilot. "So you think it was such a good idea offering that kid our help?" he asks.<p>

Murrue smiled at him. "He helped us and I can tell that there's something about him. He doesn't seem to be form here and his mobile suit is obviously something neither the Alliance nor Zaft have seen." She explained.

"Ah…I see so we're going to help them out and in exchange, they help us in return?" he asks.

"That's the plan. Hopefully today will be our lucky day."

* * *

><p>Kira watched the Wing Zero leave as so many questions filled his head. Who was that pilot exactly? Why did he help them? The most annoying question that clawed in his mind was why the Wing Zero didn't seem to run out of power during the battle.<p>

He turned around seeing the Desert Dawn gathering up and heading out.

Heading back to his machine, he got back into the cockpit and started the system up. He walked the suit into the Archangel's hangar as he docked it at one of the holders. He sighed heavily wondering what would happen now that the ship had more than one pilot. "_Will I stop fighting?" _He questioned. Many things ran through his mind as he thought about his situation and place in the Archangel. He felt the ship moving slowly as the Archangel followed Desert Dawn to their base of operations.

* * *

><p>Out in the desert Duo hid under the shade the piece of ship metal provided. He sighed as he looked at the sand. He was starting to hallucinate from exhaustion, dehydration, and his body was on the verge of having a heat stroke.<p>

He looked ahead as he sighed. "Well Duo oh pal, looks like you're going to die right here…alone." He said. He accepted death easily as he felt, being a gundam pilot, he lived on borrowed time. He was about to close his eyes wait for the Reaper when he noticed something approaching his direction. Duo opened his eyes as wide as he could as he looked at the incoming object.

He breathed more quickly seeing Wing Zero transforming and land on the sand. He stood up and leaned on the metal as he watched Heero exiting the machine. He grinned, happy that he would be saved now and happy that he would be able to give Heero some fair payback for stranding him for nearly ten hours. Heero walked up toward him as he looked at Duo. Duo was about to yell and punch his guts out but noticed his arm was bleeding profusely.

"Hey…what did you do?" he asked weakly. Heero remained silent for a moment, unsure if Duo was in a condition to hear what he had to say about them being in some different Era. "I'll tell you when you're better, for now, get in Zero. I'll take you to get some assistance."

Duo's eyes widened. "Get in Zero? No way! I know that the system doesn't work unless you're in combat but I don't' want to take any chances here. I'd rather take my chances outside than take a risk losing my sanity due that machine!" he argued. Heero sighed. He was in no mood to argue. He approached Duo and looked to the side; Duo let his guard down assuming Heero was thinking. In one swift motion, Heero gave Duo a hard right hook to the face. Duo's eyes blacked out, as he felt to the ground. Normally he would have been conscious after a hit like that but due to his condition he didn't have the strength to keep himself up.

Heero knelt down and picked him up carrying the sleeping pilot into the cockpit. Setting him in the back, he gets into the seat and then headed off.

* * *

><p>The Archangel followed the Desert Dawn into their base of operations as the large ship went through the small route, the wings on the ship hits the tip of a small rock pillar, breaking the tip into rubble.<p>

The members guarding the entrance were confused as to why an Earth Alliance ship was led to their base. The jeep in front of the ship came to a stop. Sahib exited the vehicle as some of the members approached him. "Sahib, what's the meaning of this?" one of them asked as he looked at the ship. Sahib walked past them as he spoke "They are our guests. Behave yourselves." The two men looked at each other, wondering what was going on.

The other jeeps stopped as the blond haired girl looked at the ship with angered eyes.

* * *

><p>Mu, Murrue, and Badgiruel were led into the base, following Sahib. They looked around as there were many containers from different factions, most of them Zaft arsenal. Two men passed the two women as they whistled at them. Murrue and Badgiruel gave a light hearted smile. Even though they were professional, it was still somewhat nice to be appreciated in that manner.<p>

* * *

><p>Outside Kira listened to one of the soldiers in the ship as he used the Strike to tie down the Archangel using a tarp like material. "Okay tie it down" the soldier said. "Roger that." Kira proceeded as the Strike pulled the cloth to tighten it and tied it off.<p>

Kira heard a signal coming from the sensors as he looked ahead. "Huh?" Kira watched as the Wing Zero approached their ship. It transformed in mid-air before landing down on the ground.

Heero got out of the suit as he carried Duo toward the ship. Heero watched as the entrance was surrounded by the crew and the Desert Dawn members on the edges of the surrounding cliffs. "Hmm…"

Everyone seemed defensive about letting the two in while the captain was away. Someone from behind the line of crew members exited the ship. "Move out of the way!" the person said. Heero watched and noticed the uniform the person had on. He was a doctor. The man approached the two and looked at them concerningly. "Please, come in. I'm sorry for how the crew is acting. It's just that our captain and Lieutenants are in a meeting with the resistance fighter's leader." The doctor explained

Heero simply nodded as he followed the doctor to the medical room. The doctor turned around looking at the soldiers. "Someone contact the captain and tell her that the pilot is here." He requested. He laid duo down on the bed. The doctor glanced over to Duo seeing that he was unconscious. He noticed the slight burns on Duo's skin and then pulled out an I.V bag. He hooked Duo up to the I.V and let him rest. He then turned and looked at Heero. "Now let's get you treated. Your friend should be fine. I gave him some fluids to rehydrate his body while he's resting. I'll treat his physical wounds once I'm done with yours." The doctor said.

Heero was not one to accept aid when a captain or someone of higher authority was away, but he was smart enough to know that the doctor rushed to their aid due to the Captain's order, or his Hippocratic Oath. Heero nodded silently as he allowed the doctor to treat his wound.

"You lost a lot of blood, I'm surprised your still conscious." He comments as he looked at Heero's wound. The blood was clotting as Heero did not stress it during the flight toward the Archangel. The doctor was surprised that the wound had clotted this much. "Well it looks like your own body did the work and healed it on its own. All I've to do is bandage it properly and get you some fluids and you should be fine."

Heero kept his eyes closed as he rested. Feeling the air conditioning blow on his heated body was much relief. He nodded at the doctors words as he opened his eyes when the doctor finished. "Thank you…" Heero said.

"It's my duty." The doctor turned around as he grabbed a water bottle from the small refrigerator. "Here. You're good to go. You can wait for the Captain to return, and I'll keep an eye on your friend." He said.

Heero took the water bottle and looked at the doctor. He would have declined his offer but he had to keep an eye on Zero. "Understood."

Heero left the room to see some young teenagers gathered near the door. He gave them a nonchalant stare as he proceeded out to the hangar and back to Zero. The teens moved out of his way as they looked at him. "So that's the guy that pilots that other suit?" a wavy brown haired boy said. "I guess so…" Miriallia said. She seemed very cautious.

* * *

><p>Inside the base Sahib continued leading the two as he passed Cagalli. "So these are preliminary stamps" she said to a member to her right. She held a clipboard reading off the information for the member as he typed on the computer. Mu looked over to the blond haired girl "Huh?" he turned around and continued on. The three entered a small room that had an electronic map in the center. Mu whistled at the fact they had something like this in their possession.<p>

He looked around the room seeing many computers and wires. "So you're forced to live in this kind of place?" he asked, looking over toward Sahib. Sahib poured himself a cup of coffee as he replied. "This is our frontline base. Our homes are actually in the towns." He took a sip of his coffee and sighed, "That is if it hasn't been burned down yet." He added.

"What towns?" Murrue asks. Sahib turned around and looked at her. "Like Tatsil and Muula. We even have people from places as far away as Banadiya. Our group is comprised of volunteers from towns, such as these." He raised his cup to them. "Some coffee?"

"Uh yes, thank you." Murrue said. Sahib walked toward the map. "Use any mug you want." Murrue watched the other two follow him as she felt awkward getting the coffee herself and decided against it as she approached the map. "We do appreciate your help with our ship." She said. Sahib took another sip as he thought back to what the blond haired girl said. He glanced over to her as she peered back at him.

*flashback*

The blond haired girl had just finished her remark on the strike and left. The blond haired girls walked pass him as she whispered. "I want to hear what they have to say as well, Sahib; but this really isn't the best place. I don't' think it would be a problem letting them into our camp."

*end flashback*

"Who's she?" Mu asks. Sahib averted his eyes from the blond haired girl as he looked at him. "We call her our Goddess of Victory."

"Wow." Mu said impressed by the title. "And what would her name be?" Sahib sighed slightly thinking about whether or not he should tell them her name. Mu turned toward him and gave a smile. "It'd be rude not to know the Goddess of Victory's name." he said.

Humoring him, Sahib answered his question. "Her name is Cagalli Yula…" He took out a paper map and rolled it out. "If I'm not mistaken, you people are eager to seek passage to Alaska…"

"What? Okay!" Cagalli said. She turned toward Sahib. "The pilot of that mobile suit arrived. He went into the ship to get medical treatment. He brought his 'ally' with him." She informed.

Sahib nodded and looked toward Murrue, seeing that this matter was hers resolve. "If he's treated then the ship's medical team has done its job. I'll meet with him once we finish here." She said.

Sahib nodded as he continued showing them the map. Badgiruel felt uncomfortable leaving the ship unattended with someone she deemed _too skilled_. "I'll head back to the ship…." She took left without giving Murrue or Mu time to question her. After Badgiruel left, Cagalli followed and headed out. She wanted to see this suit for herself and question what exactly that machine is.

"_There was only supposed to be five machines!"_ She thought. She tightened her fist in anger as if she was going to punch Heero just for having the Wing Zero in his possession.

* * *

><p>Inside the Archangel's hangar, everyone kept themselves at a safe distance from Wing Zero. Heero's cold personality seemed to push the others away as they looked at his machine. Some of the soldiers and resistance members discussed whether the suit was a new G-Weapon or not. "So do you think it's a new model?" one of them asked.<p>

"No, can't be. It looks too different." The other replied. Badgiruel arrived as she looked up at Wing Zero. She stood there, curious as to why it didn't change colors. She blinked and the thought of the machine being in their hangar without authorization flooded her mind. "Who gave the permission for him to dock his mobile suit in the hangar!" she demanded.

The blue haired mechanic stepped forward looking at her apologetically. "It was me, I'm sorry Lieutenant, but I thought since he's invited on the ship; why not let him dock his machine in our hangar?" he questioned.

She gave him a disapproving glare, but said nothing to him. "I'll be watching you, Chief Murdock."

Badgiruel left as the other mechanics laughed at him. "Hey!" he said yelling at them.

* * *

><p>Cagalli stepped toward Wing Zero, standing by its white and red foot. "Hey!" she yelled. Heero heard her but gave no response as he checked the system. "Hey I'm talking to you!" she yelled at a louder tone. She hated being ignored. Heero sighed and then stepped out, standing on the hatch. "What?" he asked in an agitated tone.<p>

"I want to ask you about your machine!" Cagalli yelled out.

The mechanics and soldiers around the suit were shocked to see Cagalli being so ballsy. Heero looked down at the girl seeing determined eyes. He wasn't sure as to why she wanted to know about Zero, but there was no chance in Hell that he would tell some resistance fighter about his gundam. He turned around and headed back into the cockpit.

She stomped on the ground and then grunted, annoyed that she was treated like that, ignored like that. The snickering of the other soldiers and mechanics made her even angrier. She stormed out of the ship as she caught a glimpse of the Strike. "Hmm…" she sighed calmly as she walked over to the Strike and its pilot.

* * *

><p>A blond hair man spoke through a video feed to a dark skinned blond male and a silver haired male with bandages over his right eye. "I'm glad both of you made it safely to Gibraltar. You both did well in the last battle." He said. The short blond haired soldier spoke. "We almost died but…" he was interrupted as the blond hair man in the video feed spoke.<p>

"Regrettably, we did not take care of the legged ship or take down the Strike, but… there is a new problem." He said. "What new problem?" the silver haired male bursts out in a tone of anger. An image of Wing Zero showed on the screen as the two soldiers looked confused as the silver haired one spoke. "Just what the hell is that?"

A smaller screen showed at the corner as the long blond haired man continued and explained. "This image was taken by a chopper belonging with the Lesseps. The mobile suit you see here, took out more than 10 Bucues. It nearly dominated the battle from what I heard." Both pilots looked stunned and shock. "What in the world? That's impossible! No suit of the Earth Alliance has that much power and if it did that suit should be out of power." The blond haired pilot said. "You're right Dearka. It should have been, but we don't know much about this suit. It came out of the blue and assisted the Legged Ship. I want you two to remain there on Earth and help Commander Waltfeld with taking out this suit and the legged ship. We've labeled the unit as Delta One." He orders as the feed cut off.

Dearka sighed and spoke. "Damn…Looks like we're stuck on this dirt place." The silver haired pilot then started taking his bandages off. "Yzak, hey stop" he said trying to stop his comrade from removing the bandages too quickly. Yzak looked intensely, staring out blankly as he yelled. "I will get him! I'll get him back for what he did to me!" he said angrily.

* * *

><p>The Strike stood at one of the higher levels as Kira stood by his machine, letting the air blow threw him. He sighed happily as he looked on. He glanced behind him when he heard footsteps. "Good job out there." The young teen with the glasses said.<p>

"No problem, Sai."

Kira looked down as he saw Cagalli walking up to him. "Uh…"

She stopped as she looked at him, taking a moment of pause to cool off from the event in the hangar. "I'm sorry okay? I didn't really mean to hit you. Oh…" she looked down realizing that she was lying. "I guess I did mean to but it was just a spur of the moment." She said. She looked down to her right. "Forgive me." She said.

Kira smiled and started chuckling.

Angered by his laughter, she yelled, "What are you laughing at!" Kira continued to laugh for a brief moment and stopped. He sat down on the rock as he looked up at her. "No, I mean think about it."

She looked at him a tad bit confused at why he seemed so calm about being hit. "Hmm…You've been on my mind since then. Worried I guess. Asking myself, what might have happened to you?" Kira looked at her listening carefully to her words. "Hm..."

He thought back to that time back at Heliopolis. How he pushed her into the last escape elevator.

"And then you show up out of nowhere piloting one of those things," The two looked up at the Strike having a short moment of silence. "Worse yet, you're now with the Earth Forces?" she asks.

Kira closed his eyes and sighed heavily "Hmm." Cagalli looked up back at the Strike, assuming he had nothing to say as to why he was with the Earth Forces. "A lot of things have happened along the way…" Kira said. She looked down at him again as he continued.

Kira thought of all the events that happened and how he had to fight his best friend. "A great many things…." He looked up at her questioningly as he asked. "What about you? What are you doing in a place like this?"

She looked around, not wanting to answer his question for some reason. Hidden behind a large rock a tan man with a red head band stood watching the two. "Hmm…"

* * *

><p>Inside the Desert Dawn's base Sahib sat on the table as he explained the current situation on Earth to Mu and Murrue. "Well…it may be territory that is under the domination of Zaft, but look at this land. It's not as if their forces can cover the entire desert, yet only three short days ago the Victorian Space port was taken over. And since that time, they vastly expanded their control."<p>

Murrue looked up at him shocked at his words. "Did you say Victoria, and just three days ago!"

Mu looked over as he spoke. "Man, oh man."

"The African community in this area has naturally sided more with the PLANTs. In the lower region the South African resists them as long as they could, but in the end the Earth forces abandoned them anyway. Every day the front lines keep edging back."

"Though you guys haven't stop fighting, have you now?" Mu questioned. He looked at Sahib questioningly as he gave Mu a stern look. He closed his eyes and drank his coffee. "As we see it, Zaft and the Earth Forces are no different. They only come here to gain control and to take away what is rightfully ours."

He looked toward Murrue. "How well can your ship fair in the atmosphere." He asked. "It can't fly at high altitudes." She commented. He sighed. "Well if it can't get over mountains then the only alternative is to break through Gibraltar." He suggests.

Mu looked at him like he was crazy. "With our fighting strength, you got to be kidding" he commented. Sahib thought for a moment as he smiled. "Well you do have more than one mobile suit now, if you count that other pilot."

Murrue looked at him and realized what it was that he was trying to suggest. "I understand what you mean, but we haven't even discussed anything beyond giving them medical treatment. I'd like to find an alternative option just in case." She said. Mu was shocked. _"She's actually thinking about getting help from that kid? Then again, he was a great help in the last battle. I hate to see what he could do at full strength." _Mu thought.

"Hm…well then your other option is to go through to the red sea; To the Pacific Ocean."

"The Pacific Ocean? We couldn't possibly cover that much ground." Murrue said.

Sahib pointed out on the map. "But don't forget that the Lesseps is here as well." He warned.

"I see…" Mu said looking down on the map.

"It seems everything is settled for now, thank you for your assistance." Murrue said. She looked at Mu as he nodded. "Yea, thank you."

The two left as Murrue sighed. "One down, one to go…" she commented. "I here you, but it can't be helped." Mu said as he smiled at her.

* * *

><p>It was midafternoon; in the medical room Duo slowly opened his eyes. "Oh my fucking head…" he complained. He put his hand on his head and felt the needle behind his right palm. "Huh?" he flipped it over seeing the needle. Following the tube he looked up at the medical bag filled with fluid. For a moment he calmed down, assuming that Heero had brought him to a hospital on earth. He looked at the room, finding it strange.<p>

"D_oesn't look like any hospital I'm use too…seems more like a ships medical room."_ He thought. He looked over to the door and noticed someone wearing a doctor's coat, coming in. The doctor noticed he was awake. "Ah, you're awake. That's good. You were surfing from a serious case of heat exhaustion." Duo seemed relaxed in front of the doctor but didn't say much. "Yea doc, just tell me where I am?"

The doctor took a seat at his desk and took of his glasses. "You're onboard the Archangel. We're docked near some resistance fighter's base, that's all I can say. You probably would like to see your friend, the brown haired pilot."

"_Archangel..? " _ He thought. He looked at the doctor and sighed, "Uh yea, sure doc," he said. The doctor stood up and headed out to contact Heero. Duo turned and faced the ceiling. "Man, I don't know what's going on…but something tells me it's not good."

Duo heard the door open as he saw Heero. He looked at him as Heero gave him a serious look. "Okay…I don't like that look…" he said worriedly. Heero glanced at the doctor, who nodded understandingly as he gave the two sometime to speak. "Heero leaned on the wall as he crossed his arms in a fashion that Duo knew all too well. "So lay it on me Heero. How serious of a situation are we in. Did we crash land in some conflict that the Preventers didn't get to yet?" Duo asked sounding desperately hopeful. In his gut, he could feel that his suggestion was nowhere near what Heero's answer would be.

"We're in another Era…or another Dimension." Heero said calmly. Duo's eyes nearly popped out of his skull. "You lie…" he said not believing his words at first. Heero remained quiet and ignored him, letting Duo believe what he wanted to believe. Duo took the news badly. "So it is true, Damn….." he said as he grunted, looking to the side. He couldn't believe that what he saw was true. He hoped that he was just in a bad dream and that what he saw in the meteor base was just a lie. He looked up at Heero as he asked. "So what do we do now?"

Heero remained quiet for a moment. He opened his eyes looking at him. "We're waiting on the captain of this ship to hear our explanation, and then we'll decide on what we'll do. There's no point in going out on our own right now. We barely know anything about this world." Heero said. "Well I'm not at a hundred percent, still kind of sore, but I think I can manage." Duo said, sitting on the bed.

Heero was normally a good judge at someone's ability. It was as if he could see someone's limits once he knew them to a certain level. He nodded as he saw the determined eyes. Duo sighed. "You know they'll ask about Zero right?" he said.

"I know." Heero replied as he looked at the floor, thinking of what to say.

* * *

><p>Murrue and Mu returned to the ship as they had no time for pleasantries and hellos from the crew. Murrue passed by Wing Zero as she saw no one around or in the suit. "They must be in the medical room." She said.<p>

On the way there the two ran into Badgiruel who waited them at the entrance of the hallway. "So how was the meeting?" she asks. "Productive. We'll inform you on the details once this next situation is sorted out. Are they in the medical room?" Murrue asked.

Badgiruel simply nodded as the trio headed toward said room. They saw the doctor outside waiting as he looked at them. "Good to see you back, captain." He said. "Good to be back. Are they inside?" Murrue asked.

He nodded stepping aside. "I gave them time to talk and for the young pilot to inform the other one." He said. Badgiruel glared at him as if she hated the fact he left the two alone. He looked to the side, nervous from the glare.

* * *

><p>Heero and Duo finished talking as Duo stood up. He looked up at the door seeing it opened. "Hey…" he said.<p>

She was taken back that the two were up and seemingly fine. "It's good to see that you're well. I'm Murrue Ramius, Captain of the Archangel. You are…?" she asked, looking at Duo.

He smiled and tried to stand in an upright position. "I'm Duo, Duo Maxwell. I might run and hide, but I never tell a lie. That's me in a nut shell." Murrue smiled in return. She noticed how the two pilots were nearly complete opposites. Heero seemed focus and serious, while Duo seemed more calm and open. She moved to the side. "If you'd please; we do want a word with you"

Duo nodded as he grabbed his clothes. "Just give me a moment to change and I'll be right out." He said. Murrue nodded as she left the room. Heero followed soon and stood by the door, waiting. They stood outside in the hallway as Badgiruel shot Murrue a look. It was obvious she wanted to ask a question but with Heero present, she held her tongue.

* * *

><p>The door opened and Duo came out, dressed his black and red clothing. He smirked at the group. "All done, so where's the meeting?" he asks. Murrue and the others led the two gundam pilots to the bridge. She requested the soldiers in the bridge to leave for the moment. The soldiers left as the door closed.<p>

The group stood at the lower level near the helm of the ship. Murrue sighed as she thought of what to say, she didn't want to seem rude by demanding requests, yet she felt that it was a fair trade. Heero noticed how she seemed conflicted and the whole room was filled with this uneasy tension. "If you have something to say or ask, just do so." He said to her.

Murrue looked at him with shocked eyes at how Heero noticed she was thinking of how to question her request. "Um…first off, where are you from?" she asks. Heero and Duo glanced at each other. They had discussed this question and nodded in unison. Mu watched them and wondered why they looked and nodded at each other. "What is it?" he asks.

Heero looked at the three as he explained their situation. "This may be difficult to comprehend, but Duo and I are not from this Era." He said. He paused, letting the statement sink into the three soldier's minds. "We come from the After Colony Era. It was the Era established after A.D." he explained.

"Impossible! Cosmic Era is the Era established after A.D. How is it that you claim that After Colony is the correct one?" Badgiruel said. Heero looked at her. "We don't come from this world…or rather this Dimension." He said. The three soldiers were beyond confused. Duo sighed as he thought his easy going tone would be able to ease the situation.

"We were on a mission to find this leftover base in space. We found the person that was responsible, but the device he built had gone wrong. The device's portal grew and sucked everything including us into this world."

Mu, Murrue, and Badgiruel were shocked—no to say they were shocked was a major understatement. "S-so you're from another world—I mean dimension...due to some person's device…like a Dimensional portal machine?" Mu questioned.

"Yea…something like that. We got the warning from an unknown source…so we kind of have two things to deal with…" Duo said putting his hands on his head. The three nodded, understanding that the pilots had enemies that had gone with them to their world. Badgiruel looked at Heero. "What of your machine?" she asked.

"What about it?" Heero asked looking back at her with his cold eyes. Murrue looked at the two knowing that they did not get off on the right foot. She had to diffuse this situation or Badgiruel would stay something that would jeopardize their chance at asking the pilots for assistance.

She presented her hands in a pleading way, her palms faced up and her arms spread out. "I—we were hoping that you'd be able to assist us. As you can see we don't have many pilots. If you were to join, it would be a great deal of help."

"Why should we?" Duo asked. He and Heero had fought losing battles—meaningless battles in the past and he didn't want that anymore. He wasn't sure about Heero, but he was used to a normal life and with this life, he found a reason to keep that peace he had. So he didn't want to fight meaningless battles anymore.

Mu saw that the two were near the fence and tried to give them an encouraging push. "If who you're looking for is here, I'm sure they're either going to come in contact with the Earth Alliance or Zaft. We're at war right now so there might be a chance you may see this person." He said.

Heero and duo looked at each other and after a moment the two nodded. "Fine…it seems at our best interest…for now…but we do have conditions." Heero said.

Murrue nodded. "Of course; what are your conditions?"

Heero closed his eyes remembering his conversation with Duo.

*flashback*

Duo sat as he had his fingers crossed. His chin rested on his hands as he thought for a long moment. "So how do you want to do this? They'll ask about Zero if we do agree to join them." Duo said.

"I know, if we could, we'd do something else, but if we do want to go home, this is the path we have to choose."

"H-heero, did you use the Zero System?"

Heero looked over to Duo and nodded. "I won't let anyone get their hands on the Zero system…" he said. Heero went silent once more as he pondered on something that prided in the back of his mind. _"Zero never showed me a path two years ago, but why now….?"_

*end-flashback*

"I request that no one ask anything about my mobile suit and no one touches it."

Badgiruel shot him a look. Heero noticed her glare but ignored it. "That's all I request." He said.

Murrue nodded and smiled. "I understand, you're suit will be under your care. I'll tell all the mobile suit mechanics all personnel to keep their hands off the suit." She said. Murrue kept her smile as she thought _"This went well. I'd hate to have these two as enemies. I wouldn't want to see what they could do now that they're nearly recovered"_

* * *

><p>The meeting ended with other slight information being exchanged. Duo and Heero left as Duo walked slowly following him to the hangar. Heero glanced back and kept walking. "You should rest. You're still injured." Heero advised. Duo smirked as he continued, this time speeding up and keeping up with his nonchalant friend. "I'm fine…I've had to battle with worse soreness." He commented.<p>

* * *

><p>In the bridge Murrue stood there silently as she thought. Mu looked at her and gave a light smile. "What's the matter? You got what you wanted, more assistance."<p>

She looked up at him with a smile, yet her eyes showed a deep concern for some kind of situation. "I don't know…I just feel that this war's going to get even more difficult."

Mu sighed as he understood her concern. The sun began to set as the day neared its end.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Wing

Recap: _Heero and Duo retrieved treatments for their wounds while Mu and Murrue met with Sahib. Alliances were formed and now the two pilots must face the coming events due to their actions. What will they encounter, being thrown into this war?_

Chapter 4: Eyes of the Burning Tiger

The sun sets, signaling the end of a hectic day. At the Desert Dawn's camp the members were dispersing the food evenly among the members. Sai, Miriallia, and two others were gathered together looking around at the camp. Sai looked around with heavy eyes. He sighed heavily as he turned, facing his friends. "How did we end up in a camp full of rebels?" he questioned. "This little adventure we signed up for is getting wilder and crazier by the day…" he added.

A blue haired boy sat on the rocks behind Sai. He sighed. "Right in the middle of the desert?" he questioned. He looked up and sighed once more. "If I knew we'd be here, I wouldn't have said I'd remain onboard the ship." The wavy brown haired teen looked at his blue haired friend sadly. "But Kuzzey, if you had gotten on that shuttle with the others, you wouldn't be alive now…" Kuzzey and Miriallia sighed as they thought over how life could be taken so easily. Miriallia leaned into the brown haired teen's arms as she sighed heavily. She looked at him as she spoke. "In war, you never know who will go next…"

"What's going to happen to us, Tolle?" she asked looking up at him. Tolle didn't know what to say to make her feel more at ease. Tolle comforted her as he put his hand on her head, pushing her closer to his body. Sai looked at the two sighing slightly as he looked at the two. He understood how Miriallia seemed so fearful of war. All of them were. The thought of losing a loved one was one of the most dreadful things that came into their minds as they went through this experience. Sai looked over to see Flay walking about. "Huh..?"

The group stopped and looked up at Flay. Sai approached her as he watched her look around. It was obvious to him who she was looking for. "Where's Kira?" she asks. Sai stepped forth. He wasn't surprised at all to see Flay asking for Kira. He felt that the two were doing something and her constant request to see Kira or be with Kira didn't make his stomach settle.

* * *

><p>Further out in the desert, a group of pilots gathered at their Bucues. There were nine soldiers lined up with three in the front. In front of those three was Commander Waltfeld. "The time has come for us to commence our attack on the resistance fighter's base. They clearly over did it last night." Waltfeld narrowed his eyes at the soldiers. "They shouldn't have interfered. Now, they'll pay. They will be punished."<p>

"Our Target is Tatsil!" Decosta screamed out. "All pilots climb aboard!" he ordered. The nine soldiers ran to their machines quickly as they armed themselves for battle.

* * *

><p>Back at the camp Murrue, Mu, and Badgiruel joined Sahib by the fire. The group stared at the fire having their own thoughts about the matter at hand. Everyone seemed eerily quiet. The only sound coming from their group was the sound of the burning wood. Murrue held her coffee as she stared blankly into the fire. She thought about what she did and wondered if she did the right thing.<p>

Mu glanced over to her noticing that she still carried the same worried look she had before this evening.

* * *

><p>Inside the Archangel's hangar, Kira sat in the cockpit of the Strike, working on the system. He rapidly typed on the pull out keyboard as the screen in front of him showed the Operating system being updated. It seemed impossible for someone to type as fast as Kira did. His fingers flew over the keys. One would assume he didn't even touch them when he typed. A message displaying the words 'COMPLETE' flashed momentarily before he continued typing away.<p>

Murdock looked at him through the small opening. He smiled, showing signs of curiosity as to why Kira was in his suit at this time of night. "Well…what are you doing this time?" he asked. Kira moved the screen out of his face as he kept his attention down on the keyboard. "I was tweaking the contact pressure during last night's battle. So I also had to make the appropriate adjustments." He answered.

"Yea, that makes sense. I got to tell you, you're pretty useful as a pilot. All of a sudden you're giving this thing your full attention, _Ensign Yamato_." He teased. Murdock left the young pilot as he laughed out loud. Kira glanced over, watching him leave. Kira looked over to the Wing Zero. He noticed Heero working on his machine. This made him feel happy in a sense as he assumed he was not the only that wanted to be prepared. He looked back down at the keyboard and continued typing. _"I've really got no choice but to do it. And unless I do my best and get stronger, this ship and everyone in it will all die."_

Heero was inside the Wing Zero finishing up some adjustments. Finding himself bored, he pulled out his laptop and connected it to his cockpit. Typing away at the keys Heero began hacking into the Archangel's system. "Hmm…this ship didn't receive a proper launch from what the battle records show. Now for some technical preparations." He said as he accessed the mobile suit files. He began downloading all available mobile suit data into the cockpits battle system so the Zero System could make use of the data. Once the data uploaded Wing Zero's eyes glowed as if warning Heero of some upcoming event. "I know Zero; the leader of that group won't let these people off that easily after their interference." Heero said quietly. He thought about when or how they would counterattack.

Kira glanced over to Wing Zero when he saw something. By the time he looked over to Zero, the machine looked as if nothing had happened. "Huh…I swore I saw the eyes turn on…" he said to himself. He kept his eye on the mobile suit that was called "Gundam". He remembered the acronym on the Strike spelling out the same. He wondered if his suit was a "Gundam". He didn't put much more thought into the matter as he continued on and finished up. He lowered himself down and headed out to get something to eat.

* * *

><p>Outside Cagalli walked through the camp looking for someone. She stopped when her friend called out her name. It was the same young man that questioned how the eighth fleet was still active. "Hey Cagalli!" he yelled waving his arm out to her. "What are you doing out here? Why don't' you get some food?" he questioned. The young man's comrades turned around looking at her. Seeing all the people stare at her made her feel uncomfortable. "Uh yea…" She looked around glancing to her left and right. "You haven't seen the pilot of the Earth Force's mobile suit by any chance, have you?"<p>

"Uh, uh. Do you need to see him?" the young man said grinning. His tone showed obvious signs of teasing her. Cagalli replied quickly to his remark. "It's really not that big of a deal or anything. I just forgot his name and all." The young man brought his arms up in a confused manner. "Huh? But I was under the impression that you knew the guy" he said. "Uh right. Well about um…ah" It took Cagalli a moment to realize what her friend meant as she recalled her punch toward Kira. "You might think that….but if I already knew him…" She hesitated, trying to find the right words to not make her seem like a fool, but it was already too late. The young man looked at her confusingly.

"Cagalli…" a voice spoke out. Everyone looked over to the hulking man with the red headband. He motioned his head toward the left, looking specifically at Cagalli. Cagalli turned toward her friend "Uh sorry, good bye Ahmed." She said. She turned and followed the man. Ahmed watched her leave but turned his attention back to his food, eating a spoonful.

* * *

><p>Standing by the Archangel, the hulking man stood in front of Cagalli. He looked at her sternly, but his tone was that of a kind pacifist. "You must be careful, or they'll find out." He cautioned. Cagalli nodded silently, understanding the circumstances behind keeper her secret from everyone. "I'm sorry, I understand." She said. The man stood there looking at Cagalli. "You tend to overlook things all around you." He advised. Cagalli hated being talked to like she was a little child. She grunted, looking to her right, keeping her face low. She didn't want to look at this man directly.<p>

"So? Who asked you?" She questioned. Cagalli left the man as she continued her search for Kira. The man closed his eyes smiling just a bit. "Hmph…"

* * *

><p>Perched upon a high cliff near Tatsil were the Bucues. Decosta observed the town through the binoculars as he zoomed in and out of buildings, checking for any activities. "Now is when the town goes to sleep." Waltfeld commented. "They're those who'd like to put them to sleep permanently. Some people like to take that approach, not me." He said looking at Decosta. Waltfeld was not one to do absolutely anything to obtain victory. He believed in justified revenge, but not at the cost of innocent lives, if it could be helped. Decosta looked at him confused by what the commander meant. "Hm?"<p>

Waltfeld looked straight ahead toward the town. "We'll issue a warning first, then attack fifteen minutes later." He looked at Decosta with a smirk. "Come on now, hurry up. Inform them" he ordered. Decosta was still confused but he rarely doubted the commanders orders. He salutes his commander and heads off to relay the order to the soldiers. The jeep's engine roared as it proceeded down the cliff.

* * *

><p>Inside the hangar Heero completed his small mission on gather what information he could. He took the time to go over everything and memorize specific functions of some technologies of this world. "Hmm…"<p>

"Hey Heero!" Duo shouted from outside the suit. Heero got out of the cockpit and stood on the hatch, looking at the gregarious pilot. "I brought dinner!" Duo said as he had a large grin on his face that seemed to stretch for miles. Heero thought for a moment. He had nothing to do and the attack hadn't happened yet. He lowered himself down and grabbed his share of the meal and then sat on the gundams foot as he ate his meal. The two pilots ate in relative silence. With the hangar nearly empty, save for a few mechanics that stuck around, the hangar was like a large piece of drywall that wasn't soundproofed. Heero and Duo heard an argument outside.

Outside Sai followed Flay trying to talk to her about what was going on with her lately. "Wait a minute Flay! What's up with you these days?" he questioned. Flay ignored his question as she continued on. She ignored his question. She grew annoyed of his constant pestering as she yelled. "Keep your distance from me." Flay stopped as she spotted Cagalli "Huh?" She sighed and gave a quick stare at her before continuing on. "Hey what's the matter?" Sai called out.

Flay saw Kira stepping out of the Archangel as she called out his name. "Kira!" her eyes lit up, brightened and joyful from seeing Kira. Kira looked over to see Flay rushing towards him. "Hm?" She rushed at him and grabbed his left arm, wrapping her arms around it tightly as she hid behind him. Kira looked as he saw Sai standing in front of him. "What?" Kira asked. His tone seemed defensive, as if he were defending Flay against Sai. Sai looked at Kira with a serious look. "I need to talk to Flay." He said. "It's not your business Kira." He said looking to the right not wishing to make eye contact. Kira remained quiet as he sighed.

Flay yelled at Sai as she had a differing opinion. "This has everything to do with him! I spent…" Sai turned his attention to Flay. She shot him an angered look as she yelled. "I slept with him, you get it!" Sai was utterly shocked by this news. He couldn't come up with any response as he stood there motionless. To hear that the woman you loved slept with another man was the most difficult news that he had to take. Hiding behind the rocks, Cagalli listened to their conversation and when the sexual subject came up, she was just as surprised as Sai. She hid and remained still, her face flushed and red.

* * *

><p>The argument had escalated so much that Duo had slight difficulty enjoying his meal. He sighed as he thought of diffusing the argument. "Want to give me a hand here?" he asked Heero. Heero ignored things very well. He didn't seem to be bothered as much about the argument compared to Duo. "Do what you want." He said. Duo sighed as he rubbed his hair. "Ah man…" Duo headed out to find the arguing teens.<p>

As Heero finished his meal he heard Wing Zero's system sounding. He glanced up at the machine and sighed quietly. "Hmm…"

* * *

><p>The Bucues shot the warning shots as the missiles fired hitting the ground near the buildings. Commander Waltfeld watched as the buildings caught aflame. The civilians rushed out of their homes, taking what belongings they could as the fled the town. The Bucues walked among the flames clearing the town out.<p>

* * *

><p>Kira looked down, not wanting to say or admit anything. Sai looked at Kira's eyes. Something had happened and he had to hear it from him. "Well Kira?" Sai asked. Kira still continued to not answer his questions. Growing angrier, Sai's fist tightened. "Explain this to me Flay…you. You…"<p>

"Why should I explain myself to you? This doesn't involve you!" Flay shouted. Sai grunted in discomfort. Seeing his friend in such distress, Kira tried to lighten the situation. "Sai, just forget about it…" Sai looked to the side, finding it hard to handle the situation. "What's that?" Kira looked at him with agitated eyes. "Anyone can see that you're chasing after someone who's clearly not interested in being with you!" Kira yelled. Angered by his words, Sai narrowed his eyes. "Who do you think you are!" he questioned. Kira kept his attention to the side, making no eye contact. "I'm tired from the last battle. Please, do me a favor…just stop all of this…" Kira pleaded.

Kira took Flay as the two headed into the Archangel. Sai was furious he charged in recklessly. Kira used his enhanced reaction and coordination to turn around and bind Sai in a hold, twisting his right arm back and holding it behind him. "Stop it! If I took this fight seriously you wouldn't stand a chance!" Kira pushed Sai away, releasing the hold. Sai stumbled down the stairs and fell onto the sand. He looked up at Kira with shocked eyes. "K-kira?"

Kira turned around and headed into the ship, standing by Flay. Flay was horrified to see Kira act this way, holding a hand to her mouth. Her eyes kept on his body as she trembled slightly. Kira explained how Flay had always been there for him how she had been there for him all the time. He turned around looking at Sai. "No one understands what I go through when I fight!" he yelled.

Duo hid behind some rocks as he couldn't help but ease drop at the teen's conversation. "Poor kid…"

Flay approached him and hugged him tightly comforting him. Cagalli watched. She turned her head when she heard a whistle blown.

* * *

><p>Sahib held a radio to his ear as he listened to his comrade. "What's wrong?" he questioned. The comrade looked at the town as he yelled back. "The sky is burning!" Sahib and the others were surprised by statement. "It's in the direction of Tatsil!"<p>

The Desert Dawn moved out quickly.

* * *

><p>Back at Tatsil the Bucues continued their demolition of the town, searching for the rebel's weapons and provisions. A Bucue unit fired its missiles at a building, obliterating it. One Bucue stood, looking around. A sudden burst of machine gun fire caught the pilot's attention as the Bucue turned toward the men. The Bucue raised its left front leg and stopped down on the ground where the men stood. The men rushed out of the Bucues way, running for their lives.<p>

Outside of the town near a cave the people gathered, watching helplessly as their town was crushed into rubbles.

Waltfeld held the communication phone to his ear. "There should be provisions and ammunitions stashed away in neighboring mountains." He advised.

* * *

><p>The soldiers wasted no time as he looked for the nearest cave. The Bucues walked over to the caves as the people watched in horror. One of the pilots spoke aloud on his communication line. "We are about to burn the caves. If you value your lives, please leave the area!" The citizens rushed out of there and fled the area. The Bucues began their barrage on the caves and visible objects that the rebels used.<p>

* * *

><p>"Damn!" the person slammed his hand on the communication device. "I can't get through!"<p>

"Hurry" one member said as he rushed toward Tatsil

"Those filthy pigs!" Another commented. The Earth Forces watched as the rebel group headed out like they were running from the plague. Kira glanced over, seeing his help was needed, he rushed into the group. Flay looked at him with concerned eyes. "Kira wait!"

Duo watched the kids leave as he was too late to stop them. "Great." He said flatly. "Never a dull moment in war…" he said. Duo headed back to the ship as he went toward the hangar. His body seemed to heal a great deal but he was dragging himself slightly as he ran.

* * *

><p>Kira stopped as he watched a majority of the members gathering around Sahib. He looked as he saw Cagalli running pass him. "Huh?" Cagalli was dressed in a dark green combat vest. She wore a red shirt under the vest and gloves. She stood by some soldiers as she listened to Sahib. "I need half of you to remain here at the base. Stay alert!" Sahib ordered. "Remain level-headed. There could be a second force."<p>

* * *

><p>Mu and Murrue watched as they saw the members rushing out of the camp. "So what do you think we should do?" Murrue asked as she glanced at him. Mu stood with his right hand on his hip. "Huh…" he looked up and thought for a moment. "If there's one thing about the Desert Tiger, it's that he's not known to be needlessly violent." Mu commented. He looked directly at Murrue. "But of course it's not like I'm personally acquainted with the guy." He said. Murrue shot him a confused look.<p>

"So what do you think we should do? Should we help them out?" Mu asked. "We can't risk bringing the Archangel out. There might be a second attack. You go Lieutenant." She said. Mu looked at her confusingly. "What? Me?" he questioned.

"The Skygrasper is a smaller unit. I imagine you'll be helping Heero." She told him. Mu smiled as he looked at the Captain. "Alright." He agreed. He left and headed toward the Archangel. "I'll send a jeep with a doctor and some help. Do your best!" she yelled out. Mu waved his hand as he continued toward the Archangel.

* * *

><p>The Desert Dawn members set off as their jeeps rushed toward Tatsil. Sahib looked behind at the following members. He had goggles on to block his eyes from the sandy wind. "Keep your eyes open people!" he advised. His vehicle roared off leading the pack. Cagalli came out of the cave holding and rocket launcher. She moved hastily, thinking that she would be left behind. She stopped when a jeep pulled in front of her. "Climb aboard Cagalli." Ahmed said.<p>

"Thanks Ahmed." She said smiling. Cagalli got on the jeep and the hulking man with the red headband jumped in the back as the trio proceeded with their comrades.

* * *

><p>The crew of the Archangel looked on as the soldiers left. Everyone looked over to the Captain. "All hands return to the ship at once, and take up defensive positions" she ordered. Tolle and Miriallia looked at each other before heading back to the ship.<p>

Kira lets go of Flay as he headed back to the ship. He felt that he had some responsibility to save the people of that town. Flay looked at him worriedly as she chased after him. "Kira!" she called out. Sai looked at her and grabbed her shoulder, stopping her. "Wait Flay!" he yelled. Flay turned and looked at Sai giving him an angered glare. She moved on and tried to follow Kira.

Kira rushed into the ship as he jumped passed the stairs, rushing to the hangar. His eyes showed great determination.

* * *

><p>The Desert Dawn members rushed toward their burning home. Cagalli looked at the smoke filled town with intense eyes. It was as if no matter how many horrible things she saw, it would always have a great impact on her.<p>

* * *

><p>Back in the Archangel everyone got to their stations as Mu's Skygrasper rolled out to the catapult. The hatch opened and extended, giving Mu an opening to launch. Mur pushed a button on the lower right side of the helmet as the visor came down. "Mu La Flaga, launching!" he yelled out. The screen to the upper right changed to a light blue with clear signs for launch. The Skygrasper's engine roared as the fighter launched out heading to Tatsil.<p>

In the Bridge, Murrue looked at the small screen on her seat. "I'm on my way, Captain." Badgiruel said.

"That's great, thank you. Please give me a full detailed report. They still might be staging a diversionary attack" Murrue ordered. Badgiruel saluted as she replied. "Yes, Captain!" She looked over to the other members and ordered them all to head out. The lower hatch opened as jeeps headed off heading off to Tatsil.

In the hangar the mechanics scurried about as they prepared the Strike. Kira sat in the cockpit as he waited patiently for an order to launch. Over by Wing Zero, Duo ran up to the suit looking up. "Hey, Heero!" he yelled. Heero stepped out of the cockpit as he looked down at Duo. "What?" he asked nonchalantly. He seemed to keep his cool in this worrisome situation the hangar was in.

"What do you want to do about all this, should we help?" Duo asked. He was normally level-headed and calm like Heero in these kinds of situation, but this whole environment, this war, these people; they all had an effect on Duo as he never experienced this kind of war. Heero looked at him with the same serious stare. Heero grabbed the zip line and lowered himself. He stood next to Duo and leaned on Wing Zero's foot. "There's no real point…yet." He said.

Duo was confused by what Heero would turn down the chance to help a town in need. "Why! Are you just going to let those people in that town, die? I know you're merciless against enemies, but toward civilians? Heero what's going on with you!" Heero glared at him as Duo saw the narrowed eyes that gave him chills. Heero was offended by Duo's comment but he didn't say or show anything toward it besides the glare. Deep down, Heero was a kind-hearted person, much like how the pilot of the Strike was, but he learned through a tough experience that a soldier had to hide his emotions and fight strategically and smart.

"If we go now they'll see more of Zero's capabilities. It's best to leave it to the capable hands of the soldiers right now. We'll only step in when they really need our help."

Duo was about to retort to Heero's response, but deep down the old soldier in him realized what Heero said was best. "You're right. If they saw what Zero could do they'll shift their focus on us and then we'll never be able to go home. We'll be facing a whole army…" Duo said regretfully. Two years had made him soft. Heero saw this. He looked over to the Strike as he remembered what the information said about the Strike.

*flashback*

The light from Heero's laptop illuminated the dark cockpit. Heero looked at the information he downloaded from the Archangel's mobile suit data base. The screen changed from one suit the other as he looked over the G-weapons project. Heero took note of all of the suits in the project, studying what he could of their images and used the Wing Zero's search eye system to show him mechanisms that the images didn't provide. He stopped as he read on about the characteristics shared by all suits.

"Hmm…these suits don't seem to have any resilient armor. They're equipped with standard composite armor and decent level of durability. It seems they rely on the Phase Shift Armor system. The system itself uses electricity to boost the defensive capability…" Heero continued to read on about the suit and its various packs.

He looked over to the Strike and sighed inwardly.

*end flashback*

"The mobile suit over there will be more than sufficient. Compared to our era's technology, they build their units on variability. Give a suit the right pilot and it can be just as dangerous as one of our gundams." Heero said.

Duo sighed as he smirked. "You hacked into their system, didn't you?" he questioned, knowing the answer already. Heero gave no response as he kept his attention on the suit.

* * *

><p>"Commander!" Decosta shouted. He got into the driver side of the jeep as Waltfeld questioned him. "Is it over with? Were there any casualties on either side?" Decosta looked at him confusingly "Huh? Why would you think there'd be any? It's not as if we actually fought against them."<p>

"I meant both sides." Waltfeld said. "I mean yeah. There might be that odd person that stumbled or another that got caught in the fires" Decosta answered. Waltfeld sat down. "Then let's get out of here." He ordered.

"The husbands could be home anytime now, so hurry up"

"Isn't the whole point of this operation was to attack them as they returned?" Decosta questioned.

Waltfeld looked at him as his eyes widened. "Come on now, it's not like we burned down their home and town just to attack them while they're down. Our objective in this operation has been met, we'll be returning now."

* * *

><p>The town laid waste as the fires engulfed everything. The Desert Dawn neared the town as Cagalli looked at the inferno. "No the town…" she said. Ahmed continued driving the jeep closer and closer to the town. "What about the people?" he questioned. Cagalli heard the sound of engines behind her as she looked up. The Skygrasper flew over the jeeps and hovered over the town. Mu looked at the damage done. "Man, this is bad…total destruction" he said. He looked to his right noticing something, "Huh?" he looked down at the people as he stopped the Skygrasper turning it around so he could get a better view of the people.<p>

"La Flaga here, there are survivors from the town." He informed to the Archangel.

* * *

><p>The crew on the bridge listened to his report. "Or more precisely, a large number of people seem to be fine." Everyone on the bridge were surprised by this as they shot each other glances, to make sure what they all heard was real. "I don't understand how or why?" Mu continued. "And the enemy?" Murrue questioned.<p>

"No sign of them."

Murrue thought in silence about why the Desert tiger would just leave the people unharmed. _"This was clearly a retaliation attack…why leave people alive?" _She wondered.

* * *

><p>The Desert Dawn members stopped their jeeps as they rushed out to the civilians. Husbands hugged wives, mothers hugged sons, and sons hugged fathers. It was a joyful reunion despite what happened. Mu stood by the Skygrasper watching the people enjoy their moment. He heard the jeeps stopping behind them as he looked, seeing Badgiruel rushing towards him.<p>

"Commander!" Badgiruel shouted softly. She stood by him as she looked at all the people. "What's going on?" She asked.

* * *

><p>Sahib gathered around the people as he questioned if anyone got hurt. Cagalli and the other members there were surprised that no one in town got hurt. It stuck them as odd that the Desert Tiger gave the town a warning. After things were settled, Sahib walked over to a small group of members. The two argued as the group fled off, waging a counterattack. Sahib and Cagalli headed off to chase after their comrades.<p>

Mu and Badgiruel looked on as all that was left were tire tracks on the sand. "Well what can I say? The desert can make people crazy." Badgiruel looked at him concerned. "They're going to be wiped out, with their mediocre weaponry; they don't stand a chance against the Bucues."

"So what are we going to do?" Mu asked smiling at her. Badgiruel turned her face looking down as she hid her eyes with her hat. "Don't ask me, I haven't a clue…"

* * *

><p>"What did you say!" Murrue questioned. "They went after the enemy? But don't they realize how crazy that is! Why didn't you stop them?" Murrue asked looking at Mu on the screen. "Like I could; they were so determined that if we did try they would have attacked us." Mu said. Mu glanced at the people as he continued talking. "More importantly, there are many injured here who need food and water—especially water."<p>

Murrue thought about the situation. _"I can't order Heero or Duo to head out; they're not under my command…_" She looked up as she spoke. "I'll send Ensign Yamato to check up on them. We can't sit back and let them get killed." She said. "I'll have our remaining vehicles deliver water and medical supplies." She added. "Roger that." Mu said as he disconnected the line. Murrue turned toward Miriallia. "Crewman Haw, order the Strike to initiate launch at once." She ordered.

"Yes ma'am" Miriallia said. She looked down to the screen as she spoke. "Kira, prepare the strike for launch."

* * *

><p>Kira had his head down thinking quietly for a moment. He looked up as he heard the order. "Roger that" he said. The strike was carried over to the catapult. "EPU activated!" Miriallia announced on the intercom. The Strike is lowered onto the catapult. "Connected to Catapult." She announced. The mechanical holders released as the back wall opened. "We'll attach the Aile pack. Aile Striker Standby."<p>

The suit was equipped with the Aile Striker pack as the backpack and shield were connected to the suit. The Strike grabbed ahold of the beam rifle. "All systems Green, course clear for launch. Aile Striker, ready when you are."

The indicator turned light blue as the Strike bent its knees. The suit is launched out into the sky. The stabilizer wings extended as the thrusters ignited. The Strike flew off, heading toward the Desert Dawn members.

* * *

><p>The Bucues followed Waltfeld as the jeep headed back. The heat was cooking Decosta. He pulled at his collar as he looked at his commander, who had his eyes closed as if the heat didn't bother him at all. "Can't we go any faster than this?" he asked. Waltfeld spoke but kept his eyes closed. "Eager to return back?" he questioned. He looked at the commander a bit concerned. "At the speed we're going, they'll catch up to us." He cautioned.<p>

Waltfeld opened his eyes as he relaxed and had his hands behind his head. "Then we're meant to meet, its fate." He said calmly. "Their artillery trucks are no match for our Bucues. When put to the test I often hear people boasting about how they'd rather die, but do you think they honestly mean it?" He asked. Decosta looked at him, intrigued by the questioned.

On the radar of one of the Bucues the radar displayed multiple dots. This indicated unknown objects approaching. He pushed the communication button and spoke. "Commander, there's six, no eight objects headed toward us. It looks like they're from the resistance fighters."

Waltfeld leaned back, having no worries. "Maybe those people would rather die after all…" he said.

* * *

><p>The jeeps rushed toward the group. They aimed their weapons at the commander's jeep, focused on the ultimate payback for destroying their village. Cagalli aimed the missile launcher at the Commander's jeep. The round rushed off and nearly hit the jeep, hitting the sand. The jeep veered off to the right for a moment when it dodged the round. "What should we do, Commander?" Decosta asked. "We have no choice, we're fighting back!" he ordered. The jeep moved off to the right, leaving the battle for the Bucues.<p>

The Desert Dawn members continued their attack on the Desert Tiger. Two jeeps headed toward the Commander's jeep as the rebels aimed their weapons. "Go after the jeep! This time we're going after the tiger!" one of the members yelled. A round fired and rushed toward the jeep. A Bucue stepped in front of it and intercepted the round, taking the shot. The Bucue moved and tried to smash the jeeps with its legs. The Jeeps scurried about dodging the shots as the members continued firing more missile rounds.

One round from Cagalli's weapon hit the camera on the one of the Bucues. The pilot grunted and shielded his eyes from the bright flash. Another round fired at the Bucues left front foot as it caused the suit to lose balance, slipping on the sand slightly. Cagalli and the others cheered assuming that they had delivered a devastating blow. "Yea!" Cagalli yelled out smiling.

The pilot grunted as he looked over to a jeep armed with a large missile launcher. "I'm going to squash you bugs!" he yelled out. The Bucue jumped as the foot changed to tracks. The suit landed on the rebel's jeep, crushing them. The Bucue continued on and moved smoothly through the sand as it chased the other jeeps. The Bucue's speed was too great for the jeep and the rebels were crushed.

Ahmed grunted and moved the jeep under one Bucue as Cagalli and the hulking man fired their missile launchers at the suit. The pilot grunted and moved the Bucue's right front leg. The man noticed the suit moving as he yelled at the two "Jump off!" He grabbed Cagalli and jumped off. Ahmed looked back and was hit. His body flew with the wrecked jeep. Cagalli watched in horror as her friend down, possibly dead. "Ahmed!" she yelled out.

The Bucue prepared to crush the two when missiles hit the head unit. Sahib yelled as he fired the weapons at the Bucues. The two left rushing toward Ahmed while the Bucue moved on to take care of the other members in the jeep. It got behind them and prepared to strike. Sahib turned around aiming his weapon at the mobile suit, knowing it was futile. He wouldn't go down without a fight. "Damn you!" he yelled.

Decosta looked on the radar seeing an incoming heat source. "Heat source coming from above. Commander…it's coming from—!" A green beam rushed toward the Bucue that chased Sahib. The beam missed, rushing right by the suit. "What the?" The pilot questioned confused by what happened. "Sahib and the hulking man looked up noticing the Strike descending down upon the battle. The Strike held its rifles with both hands, its left hand keeping its aim.

"It's the Strike? Really?" Cagalli questioned.

* * *

><p>The Strike fired its rifle one more as it landed onto the sand. The rounds were accurate but it seemed that it was off by a couple feet. Kira moved the targeting system away from his right eye. "I missed? The heat convection must be causing it." The Strike landed as the thrusters cooled for a moment. Kira typed on the panel keypad adjusting the rifle to operate with the heat convection. The Strike jumped into the air once again as Kira had a Bucue armed with a missile launcher in his sights. The Bucue fired off its missiles as the Strike drifted down toward the right dodging the missiles.<p>

The Strike countered as it fired the beam rifle. The beam hit the Bucue's missile launcher destroying it and disabling the suit. Waltfeld observed the suit, surprised by its appearance in the battle.

"The weapon from the Earth Forces? It came to rescue them?" Decosta questioned. Waltfeld looked on at the suit's armor equipment. "It's equipped with different armor then the last time. Check out that beam targeting. Has he instantly included the heat convection within the parameters?" Waltfeld has a slight smirk as he became more and more infatuated with the pilot of the Strike.

* * *

><p>The Strike landed. It held up its shield, defending itself from the Bucue's fire. "Three enemy machines…but one's disabled." He looked to his right and noticed Cagalli was next to someone on the ground. He narrowed his eyes in anger. <em>"I can't fight with them so close to the battle!"<em> Kira was determined to avoid any more casualties if it could be helped. He moved the suit away, provoking the Bucues to chase him.

* * *

><p>"Ahmed!" Cagalli yelled out crying. She looked down to the young man. He looked up at her, his body weak and battered. "C-cagalli, to me..you're..the…." His head fell back as he closed his eyes. "No! Hang in there Ahmed." The hulking man looked at the young man as he was silent, realizing the boy's time had come. <em>"It's too late…"<em> he thought. She held his body close as she cried out. "Ahmed, NO!"

* * *

><p>One of the Bucues stood upright once more as the pilot grinned. "Alright back in the game," he said. "Kirkwood." Waltfeld said.<p>

"Yes sir."

"Let me get in and pilot that Bucue." He requested. Decosta looked up at his commander. "Commander?"

"Some things you can't be sure of until you exchange fire with one another." He said before leaving.

* * *

><p>The Strike continued firing the rifle at the Bucues. The Bucues slid on the sand and dodged the blast. One pilot tried to engage the Strike in the air but was pushed away. "You got to be kidding me..!" the pilot said.<p>

Kira looked at the two suits contemplating a way to beat them when the Strike was hit by another suit. Kira landed and looked over, seeing the Bucue he assumed had been disabled. "That thing's still up and running?" Kira questioned.

Waltfeld grinned as her commanded his soldiers. "Assume formation Delta! Take your position now!"

"Yes commander!" the two said in unison. The Bucues got into formation as the suits got into a triangular formation. The two suits flanked the Strike's left and right. The Commander then charged in front of the suit. The Strike wobbled trying to stay upright. Kira opened his eyes after the shaking subsided. "Huh!" he watched as a missile round hit the Strikes head. Kira tried to dodge the Bucues by going up into the air. His eyes widened when the Commander's Bucue jumped up in the air and kicked the Strike.

The suit lowered down as Kira grunted. "Even if you use regular missiles, Phase Shift Armor loses its effectiveness after seventy-six hits." Waltfeld said. His unit fired off more missiles at the Strike. "When that happens, the rifle simultaneously runs out of power!" Kira grunted as the commander's accurate shots hit the Strike. The Bucue landed as it joined the others. "Now you weird and wonderful pilot, how are you going to get out of this jam!" he questioned, grinning.

Stressed by the situation, Kira's eyes widened and dilated. Kira stopped the Strike as it avoided the missiles, letting them collide into each other in front of him. He increased the thruster output and stepped on the thruster pad as the Strike turned around. The suit moved to its far right and then dropped its shield. The shield collided with the Bucue and broke the three's formation. "What!" Waltfeld said in disbelief. The Strike fired its rifle at the Bucue that was broken from the formation.

The Bucue dodged as Waffled looked at the situation. "Attack him separately! Let's try to throw him off balance!" He ordered. His unit fired off more missiles at the Strike as Kira maneuvered the suit and avoided the missiles and dashed ahead. The strike pulled a saber out and then sliced off a piece of armor from one of the Bucues. "Here we go!" Waltfeld yelled, pushing the trigger on the right control. The missiles launched as Kira watched the missiles. It seemed like time had slowed down as he saw the missiles rushing toward him at a slow pace. He reacted quickly flipping the Strike back and kicked a wall of sand up defending himself from the shots.

One unit jumped up over the smoke and when he cleared the smoke, he looked down in horror at the Strike. "Ahh!" he yelled. The Strike fired its rifle at the torso of the unit, completely destroying it. Angered by the loss of his soldier, Waltfeld charged in. "Now you've taken things too far!" Kira reacted quickly and sliced off a leg of the Bucue, using the saber. Counting his losses Waltfeld contacted Decosta. "Decosta, pack it up, we're retreating."

"Right sir"

Waltfeld thought about what the pilot did as he grinned. "Now that's my kind of pilot. It's been a while since I've had this kind of fun." He said.

* * *

><p>Kira looked down his head sweating like he ran twenty miles in the desert wearing his pilot suit. He breathed heavily, closing his eyes. The realization that he killed someone today sunk in as his sighs grew heavy.<p>

Among the wreckage of the destroy Bucues and sliced of parts, the Desert Dawn gathered around the Strike. Cagalli watched with the others as Kira lowered himself down, using the zip line. The line made a noise, releasing air as it reached the terrain. Kira took off his pilot helmet as he approached the members. He looked at the three in front of him as he sighed. "You trying to get yourself killed?" he looked to the side with sorrowful eyes. "In a place like this…there's absolutely no reason for any of you…"

"That's the last straw!" Cagalli yelled pushing hard on Kira with great anger. "You heartless moron! Look!" She moved her hand pointing over to Ahmed's dead body. Kira glanced at the body. He didn't seem to show any great sadness as he didn't know the person, but there was a look of regret present in his eyes. He looked at Cagalli when she grabbed the collar of his suit. "We've all been fighting desperately! We fight so that we can protect the people and things that are important to us!"

Angered by her words, Kira couldn't take it anymore. He moved her hands away and slapped her hard. "What the hell can you protect when your feelings are the only weapons you've got!" he yelled questioning her. Cagalli looked up at him with widened eyes, shocked that he had slapped her. Kira breathed heavily looking at her with intense eyes.

* * *

><p>In a dark lit room the light from a large screen shined and illuminated the room. A figure sat at the front, looking at the screen. The screen showed the events that Kira and the others had gone through. Footsteps sounded as someone approached the figure.<p>

"Why are you wasting time with this meaningless game?" he questioned. A tone of anger present in the person's voice. The figure turned around and looked at the person. He was old, by his facial features and physiques; he could easily be nearly his early thirties. The person had brown hair, but it seemed like it was burgundy or red-brown due to the light of the screen. From what was apparent, the person wore a white pilot suit. The arm had a hint of dark blue and the right side that was visible had a red line.

The figure spoke. "You're welcome to try and go fight them…but it will happen like the last…" he stopped talking and thought for a moment. "Nine times you tried." He completed. The person tightened his fist in anger. "Being stuck here with you is worse than death itself."

"Don't blame me, blame your suit…" the figure said. "Now if you don't mind, just relax and enjoy the show." He suggested. The person looked at the screen, looking at Kira. "He's too soft, he'd be a liability." He commented.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Wing

Recap: _Heero and Duo settled into the Archangel and remained isolated from the crew. Friendships were boiling and tested as Kira and Sai fought. Trouble and battle remained as the crew was called into action once more, assisting the Desert Dawn. What will Heero learn from the truth of this war?_

Chapter 5: Truth

Two jeeps entered the city of Banadiya. The city seemed lively. People conversed, shopped, and the town bustled with activity. The Jeeps stopped as Kira, Cagalli, and Heero got off. Cagalli looked at the hulking man, "We'll be here back here in exactly four hours. The man looked at her. "Be extremely careful…" Cagalli nodded. "I will, Kisaka." She said softly. "Same goes for you, Al Jairi is one guy we cannot let our guard down against, right?" she questioned.

Badgiruel sat in the back of the Jeep in front. She was dressed in civilian clothing composed of a light purple shirt and sunglasses. "Dismissed Ensig—I mean Kira. Have a good time…" she blushed, feeling awkward telling Kira that when he would be spending the day with a girl. The Jackie Tonomura sighed and held put his hand on his face, finding the situation very awkward and embarrassing. "I-I'm counting on you…" she said hesitantly. Kira was dressed in some khaki pants, a button shirt and a t-shirt under it. He looked at her for a moment before the two jeeps left.

Heero wore the same clothes he always did. He looked around. _"I don't know what I'll find, but I won't sit and wait for something to happen." _He thought. Heero remembered the conversation he and Duo had before he left.

*Flashback*

Heero leaned on Wing Zero's foot as he had his arms crossed. Duo approached him as he sighed. "So I hear they're headed to a town. You want to go?" Duo asked as if he planned on going. Heero glanced at him, giving Duo a serious look. "I'll go…" Duo smiled as he thought he had gotten through to Heero, if anything to get him out of the hangar.

"But I'm going alone. You're staying." Heero abruptly added. Duo paused, shocked by his words. "What? Who says? Maybe you're the one that should stay and I'll go." Duo argued. "I need someone to look after Zero. I don't trust anyone here. With you I at least know you've the ability to handle to system." Duo shot him a look. Even though he didn't expect to have to use Zero anytime soon he understood his concern.

"Alright, go." Duo said.

Heero sighed quietly as he looked the jeeps parked outside.

*End flashback*

* * *

><p>Cagalli approached Kira looking at him. "Hey, what's with the stunned look on your face? You are supposed to be my body guard, aren't you?" She questioned.<p>

"Are you sure this is where the Desert Tiger's headquarters are?" Kira asked.

"Some things are where you least expect them to be." Heero commented. Cagalli and Kira glanced over to Heero as he approached them. Kira looked at the people finding Heero's comment hard to believe. "But it all looks so lively and untroubled." He said.

Cagalli sighed heavily. "Hmm…Come with me, both of you." Cagalli walked off leading the two. Kira and Heero followed her to the back area of some buildings. Kira looked in horror at the damage in front of his eyes. The ground looked like it was the target of a missile explosion. The broken rocks and concrete surrounded the area. "It may look peaceful, but appearances can be deceiving." Cagalli commented. Looking up the three saw the large land ship that. The make of the ship alarmed Kira. "That is what runs this town. If anyone opposes is mercilessly dealt with. This place belongs to Zaft, to the Desert Tiger" She added.

Heero's expression showed no surprise. He had seen this kind of damage nearly all his life. Some things he experienced were even worse than this. He glanced over to someone noticing a man in a colorful shirt. He noticed that the man looked in the three's direction. "Hmm..."

He started to walk away when Cagalli turned ar0und, looking at him. "Hey, where are you going? You're supposed to be guarding me to0, right?" she questioned angrily. She still harbored some anger towards the way Heero spoke to her when she asked about his mobile suit.

Heero stopped and looked at the two, specifically her. "Kira is more than enough protection for you. I've things to do and you would just slow me down…" he commented bluntly. Cagalli balled up a fist in anger, taking his blunt comment as an insult. "Why you...!" Kira stepped in front of her holding his hand out to stop her. "That's enough," he said sternly. He looked at Heero with intense eyes.

"Just go do what you want!" He yelled.

Heero walked off leaving the two. Heero walked by the man dressed in the colorful shirt. His were eyes hidden by the hat and sunglasses he wore. Heero's eyes moved over to this man and glanced at him. The man glanced at Heero. Heero was about to act on impulse when he heard children running and playing. He slowed down letting the kids pass him. _"I can't do anything right now…"_he thought. Heero knew that this man had to be someone to be wary of. He headed off, thinking of who that man was.

The man glanced over to Cagalli and Kira as he watched to two carefully.

* * *

><p>Inside the Archangel's hangar the Strike's cockpit was opened as Murdock cleaned out the cockpit, throwing out rations and trash. "Man, look what he did! I wish he didn't use the cockpit as his living quarters!" he complained. Flay stood behind him holding a garbage bag.<p>

Up above, Murrue and Mu glanced down at Flay as Murrue found it so surprising that Flay and Kira had slept together. "So, how long has this been going on?" she questioned. Mu shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me, but if you asked me; it had to be when we landed on Earth, there was no time before that for anything like this, with the crew always up and ready to go." He said.

"But isn't she Sai's girlfriend? Am I wrong…? Is she really hitting it off with Kira?" she asked him. Mu raised his hand turning it over as he smiled slight. "You surprised? Of course you are. I didn't really see that one coming either, Captain." He replied. He looked up thinking about his own wants for a moment. Murrue sighed seeing that look on his face. She went through the door exiting the hangar. Mu noticed her leaving as he went after her. "Huh?"

He caught up to pace with her as he spoke. "I don't know if whether he's mixed up because of that, or that happened as a result of him being so mixed up" he looked over to Murrue, "Whichever the case, it's not a good situation for the kid." Murrue sighed as she thought to herself. "I should have kept an eye out for something like this. He's so skilled as a mobile suit pilot, I tend to forget what I'm dealing with. The reality I have to face is that he's just a child who's not received any proper training or anything"

Mu noticed Murrue tried to put all the blame on herself. He couldn't let her do that. He was as much to blame in his opinion. "Don't beat yourself up too bad. It's just as much my fault. His achievements out there on the battlefield have been unbelievable to say the least, but there's a sense of desperation in him. We never know when we might get attacked." He said. Murrue kept walking with a saddened look on her face.

"When that happens, he must feel a certain weight of responsibility for protecting the ship. He probably let it get to him and painted himself in the corner. That must be a lot of pressure…" Murrue stopped and side as she looked at him. "Well now that we've two more pilots, I'm hoping the load will lighten. But still…" she felt concerned that, since Kira let his emotions in the battle, this would have an adverse effect on him. "Any ideas on how we are to deal with this problem? You have more experience…" she commented

Mu looked at her confusingly. He put his hand on his chin as he thought. Glancing over the Captain's body, he looked over her large breasts before glancing down taking a long glance at her entire body. "Well any ideas I have aren't worth mentioning." He said with a smirk.

Murrue back away for a moment and looked at him cautiously. "Yea, I kind of sensed that from you…" She walked off, leaving Mu. "Anyway, I hope he's refreshed after a day out in the city." She commented.

Mu sighed thinking to himself. "Ah what it's like to be young, willing and able…"

* * *

><p>In the bridge, soldiers talked about how the captain was taking a risk letting two good pilots out while they could still be attacked. Sai sat at his post silently. He thought about all his experiences with Flay in this war. How they reunited when the civilians were brought onboard. He remembered how she reacted when her father died. He sighed heavily as he thought of Flay.<p>

Miriallia stepped out looking for any sign of Kira. She sighed heavily seeing no one. Tolle walked up to her looking at her worriedly. "What's the matter?" he asked her. She looked over at him and sighed. "Oh its nothing. I'm just trying to relax…which is hard to do without Kira around." She admitted. Tolle gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't you worry; he'll be back before you know it. And in the meantime, we've got that other pilot. Not to mention we'll do all we can to protect the ship."

Miriallia looked at him smiling. "Yea, I guess you're right." Tolle was always able to make her smile and feel better in gloomy situations.

* * *

><p>Kira stood holding more grocery bags than he could seemingly carry. He looked around waiting patiently. He never thought that his one day out into the city would end up causing him to be a grocery cart for Cagalli. He looked over to her when she puts something in one of the bags. "Huh?"<p>

"Alright, time to go to the next place." She told him.

Kira blinked, snapping back to reality. "Wh-what was that…? Sure" he said as he followed her.

* * *

><p>In a lavish home, Sahib, Badgiruel and others sat in front of a man wearing a purple collared shirt. "Well, I didn't expect you to come here…"<p>

"Ah Al Jiri, such a glamorous life you have. If I had it my way, I would prefer not to see your face again, but I have no choice. The truth is our people cannot afford to have our hydroponics dry up."

Al Jiri gave Sahib a smug smile. He seemed the complete opposite of Sahib. "All you need to do to improve your situation is to change your way of thinking. You should not be so concerned about your beliefs, Sahib Ashman. They are not as important as your lives." He told him. "The sources for water will change over time…" He reached down and grabbed his cup before continuing.

"However water is water, no matter where you got it from. It keeps us all alive. If you can keep drinking it then you're fine." He took a sip of his drink acting so calmly toward the situation. Sahib rose, slightly angered that he took such a serious situation and looked at it like some kind of joke. "I have no intention of getting into this kind of debate with you! Tell me now! Will you accept our request or won't you!"

Al Jiri closed his eyes smiling as he answered. "Yes, naturally" he opened his eyes looking at Sahib. "We'll do anything to help our kinsmen." He put his cup down and stood up. "Well perhaps it's best we discuss the details at the factory, hm?" He walked away with his hands behind his back. Badgiruel watched Al Jiri leave as she sighed softly.

She stood up and followed the others to this factory.

* * *

><p>Heero walked around the town aimlessly. He didn't know what he needed to search for to find any leads. He heard some commotion in an alley way and hid on the side of a building, looking in. "Hm?" Heero listened to the people talking as he noticed them gathering by a door. "Hey let us in man, we got to tell the boss about the location of the Tiger. He's here in the open!" one of them said, trying keep their conversation low by whispering.<p>

The guard at the door let the people in and shut the door. Finding this incident intriguing, Heero decided to investigate. He noticed another opening to the alley from the other side. He left the building he hid by and went around.

The guard stood there quietly keeping a look out for others. The guard suddenly felt a hit behind his neck as he fell down hard. Heero opened the door and stepped in keeping himself to the shadows. Luckily the people inside were too rattled up about the Tiger being in the open to notice him. Heero took a seat at one of the corner tables listening in on their conversation, keeping himself isolated from the group.

"That dirty Coordinator's been spotted in the city. It's time to take our city back." One of the members said raising his fist in the air. "For the preservation of our blue and pure world!" The members shouted out in unison. _"Some kind of anti-coordinator group…"_ Heero thought. Heero noticed the men leaving and got out of their way taking another exit. The group saw the guard unconscious, and while some assumed him to be sleeping on the job, others blamed coordinators. The group rushed off and headed for the Desert Tiger's location.

Once the area cleared out Heero thought for a moment. He thought about the reason behind the war itself. "Hmm…"

* * *

><p>Kira dropped the bag of groceries down on the ground next to the table. Sitting down he sighed, trying to relax after a day of being Cagalli's bagboy. Cagalli shook the list back and forth as she spoke, going over everything they got. "We managed to get most of the things needed, but the request that Flay girl made were ridiculous. Moisturizers? Lotions? Those kinds of things aren't sold around here." she said<p>

"Here you go" the waiter said putting the food trays on their table.

Kira looked down at the food in front of him curiously. "What is this?" he questioned.

"These are kebabs." She said. "I've been so tired and hungry. Let's eat." She grabbed the red condiment bottle and smiled. "First you put on some chili sauce."

"Hold it right there, wait just a moment." Kira and Cagalli looked up and noticed a man in a red and yellow shirt. The man grabbed the other condiment bottle that had a faded light blue tip. "How can you stoop to putting chili sauce on your kebab?"

He points to the bottle in his right hand. "Now this yogurt sauce is the proper thing to add to such a dish. Well rather than saying it's the improper thing, how should I put it? Right! Not putting yogurt sauce on this dish is considered sacrilege against the kebab!" He said.

Kira looked at him curiously, wondering why this person interrupted them just to talk about sauces. Cagalli was agitated by this man's intrusion on their meal. "Do you have a screw loose? Who invited you anyway? You got no right to walk up to strangers and tell them how to eat their food!" She put some chili sauce on her kebab and took a bite.

The man turned his face away cringing at the sight of her eating a tainted kebab. "What a terrible waste!" he cried out.

Cagalli offered the chili sauce bottle to Kira, but the man interrupted trying to offer the yogurt sauce. The two bickered and accidentally squirts both sauces on Kira's meal.

* * *

><p>Up on a nearby rooftop, a group of men stood ready with guns and missile launchers. "Just look at that guy, so relaxed." The man with the binoculars said. "Who do you think those two kids are, down at the table?"<p>

The man shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Probably some kids hanging out in the city."

"Then let's do this, I'll leave the opening fireworks up to you."

"Right, may your soul abandon your body and return to space. Damn Coordinator!"

The men got ready to attack the Desert Tiger getting their weapons loaded and aimed.

* * *

><p>Down at the table the man apologized for what he did to Kira's meal. Kira ate his kebab and smiled modestly. "Uh actually no, the mixture of the two isn't really that bad..." he admitted. He grabbed his glass and drank a sip of his drink. The man glanced over to the grocery bags next to Kira as he smiled. "Well just look at the shopping you guys did. So are you planning a party or something?"<p>

"Keep your trap shut. It's really none of your business!" Cagalli yelled. She looked at this man curiously. "First thing I want to know is who are you? You sit at our table and start lecturing us about stupid stuff?"

The man was about to answer her when he heard something fired, a missile. The missile round headed toward their location. Kira looked up, having heard the same thing. "Hit the dirt!" he yelled. He kicked the table over, spilling all of the food. Cagalli was confused by the situation as both chili and yogurt sauce covered her face, hair, and clothes. Kira jumped toward her, attempting to protect her from what was headed their way. The round hits the restaurant and exploded. The three hid behind the table covering their heads.

Civilians screamed when they noticed a group of men coming out carrying guns. They ran out of the way, seeking a safer location. The men fired their rifles specifically at the table the man hid behind. The man glanced over to the two teens pulling out a gun of his own. "Look at me, are you both alright?" he asked. Kira looked at the gun and glanced around. Cagalli was still confused as to what had happened. "What…what in the world is going on here?" she questioned.

The civilians that sat at the tables near Kira and Cagalli were firing their own weapons at the group.

* * *

><p>Heero walked calmly thinking to himself. <em>"No sign of them anywhere…"<em> he thought, thinking about the unknown figure and the scientist that caused all of this mess. He glanced up hearing people screaming about some attack. He watched as the streets were cleared. "Hmm…" Heero narrowed his eyes and headed toward the area of commotion.

* * *

><p>A person from the group headed toward the table where the three hid as he kept firing his rifle. "Die Coordinator!"<p>

"For the preservation of our blue and pure world!" another yelled out.

Cagalli watched as the group kept firing at them. She narrowed her eyes, realizing who the group was. "Those guys are Blue Cosmos." A spray of rounds hit the edge of the table. Once the rounds stopped the man rose up and returned fire, killing the shooter. "Eliminate them all now!" he yelled. The other shooters fired killing the Blue Cosmos members one by one. One of the member's guns landed near Kira. He grunted trying to decide on what he should do.

A Blue Cosmos member hid in between two buildings, hiding himself from the Coordinators. He had a clear shot on the Desert Tiger. Kira glanced over seeing the member about to fire his weapon. Kira looked over toward the gun and noticed a shadow cast over it. He heard the sound of gunfire. Glancing up he saw Heero standing there with a pistol in his hand. The man glanced over, looking at Heero with a smile.

"That's enough! It's done!" a voice shouted. A soldier wearing a Zaft uniform walked up to the man. "Commander, are you alright?" he asked. Kira and Cagalli watched surprised that this soldier called this man commander. Heero looked at the two silently, his assumption was correct.

"Yea, I'm doing alright, actually. It's all thanks to that guy…" he said looking at Heero. Heero gave the commander a cold stare showing no signs of emotion. He turned his attention toward Kira and Cagalli revealing his face to them. Cagalli was shocked. "You mean we were talking with Andrew Waltfeld, the Desert Tiger?"

Andrew approached Heero as he smiled. "Well, you saved my life. What can I do to thank you?" he asked. Heero gave no response as Andrew sighed. "So, a non-talker huh?" He walked over to the two and smiled. "How about I give you all a lift to my mansion, for a chat?" he asked his question seemed like it was directed to all three of them. Kira and Cagalli were silent unsure of what to say. Heero glanced at Andrew and checked their surroundings. They were outnumbered and outgunned. Heero assumed that Kira had no formal training in ballistics. He noticed how Kira attempted to grab the pistol. _"He wouldn't be much help. He'd only get in the way_" he thought.

Glancing at Andrew, Heero couldn't help but be reminded of one commander he and Quatre encountered when they returned to Earth. _"He's too kind…" _he thought. Heero, Kira, and Cagalli were escorted out of the area by the Andrews men. Heero remained alert and cautious. _"Given the situation, its best to play by their terms until an opening is present…"_ He concluded.

* * *

><p>Sahib, Badgiruel, and the others followed Al Jiri to his warehouse. "We've already prepared fuel, water and provisions for you people. All that remains are the items in question." Al Jiri said.<p>

He stopped, turning around looking at the group as his men loaded up crates for presentation. He raised his arm as the personnel opened the crates revealing the treasures inside. "75mm AP shells, Morgenroete brand EQ, a hundred and seventy-seven magnetic shielding units."

Badgiruel and Jackie approached the crates, examining the products as Al Jiri continued to announce the products name. Jackie pulled the covering off of one item and spoke. "Wow, these things are the real thing, Lieutenant." He said.

Badgiruel approached the crates looking at all the materials. "I'm amazed at this." She commented. "I can only imagine what illegal channels were used to get these." She added. Al Jiri closed his eyes at that remark as he replied. "Let's just say that there are numerous underground wells that you people will never be privy to" he chuckled.

He looked at Sahib smiling "Now if we can get to an arrangement of my fee." Sahib shot him a sour look. "I know what you want! Well those Items you see, are you satisfied?" he asked glancing at the Lieutenant.

"Yes, we have no problems with the merchandise." Badgiruel replied. Al Jiri handed the bill over to Sahib. Jackie was shocked by the price while Badgiruel attempted to remain calm. She wasn't happy doing this but it seemed they had no choice considering the situation they were in.

* * *

><p>The three entered the home as Kira and Cagalli looked around, admiring the magnificence of the home. Heero looked back seeing how many suits and guards there were. He sighed inwardly and stood by the two. In front of them stood a woman with blue hair dressed in a blue outfit. Her hair had a streak of orange on the sides. "Is this the girl you were talking about Andy?" she asked.<p>

"Yea, she managed to get yogurt and chili sauce on her hair and clothes" Andrew replied. Heero and Kira watched as Cagalli was led away. Heero faced Andrew as he entered the room without being asked. Heero looked around the room; the smell of freshly brewed coffee entered his nose with each breath he took in. Kira entered shortly, noticing three cups of coffee.

Andrew turned around smiling at them. "I'm quite confident that the coffee I made is first rate. Come on, have a seat, make yourself at home." He said. Heero took a seat and crossed his arms. He had his eyes closed as he thought about the situation and contemplated over a strategy to escape with all three of them alive. Kira stopped and glanced at the small rock piece on the mantle. "Huh.." Kira stepped closer toward the piece and looked at it carefully, noticing the deep impressions on the rock. _"A fossil?"_

"Evidence 01" Andrew said. Kira turned around seeing Andrew putting a cup in front of Heero before offering a cup to him. "I have no idea why they call this a whale stone." He commented. Heero looked at the coffee quietly for a moment ignoring the two's conversation. He seemed to be knee deep in some kind of preoccupied thought. "Hmm…" Heero took a sip of the coffee and kept the taste in his mouth for a moment letting the flavor sink in before he swallowed. He glanced up, looking at Andrew sitting in front of him.

"Well whatever that thing is, it's problematic." Andrew said. Kira was confused by his statement. "Problematic? Why?" he questioned.

Heero looked at Andrew. "You don't agree? It's only because they found this thing that this hope was suddenly opened up. Or you might call it a possibility. It's the possibility that human beings have the potential to go much further." Andrew said taking a sip of his coffee. "What do you think of this?" he asked Heero. Heero glanced at him looking at him with an indifferent demeanor. "Humans will evolve in whatever way they choose; it's not my say in how they will do it. Free will and emotions are what makes us humans. "he said. Heero still had an alert personality emanating from his body, yet there were signs that he calmed down and didn't seem to look at Andrew as much of a serious threat.

"Of course it's that kind of hope that started this war…" Heero looked up at him, finding this interesting. _"Perspective on this war through the eyes of its soldiers from the enemy side…"_ He thought.

* * *

><p>The Jeeps arrived at the rendezvous destination to find none of the teens. Kisaka got out of the vehicle and looked around, searching for Cagalli. "Hmm…" He wondered where they could have gone or what could have happened to them. <em>"It's not like her to deliberately miss a deadline…"<em> he thought. He grew worried; Cagalli's safety was his top priority.

* * *

><p>Before Andrew continued on about what started this war, the blue haired woman knocked on the door. "Hey Andy…" she called out. The door opened as the two women walked in. "Well, well, well." Andrew said looking at the two. Kira turned around, surprised at what he saw. Cagalli was wearing a light green dress. The dress was complimented by jewelry on her neck and wrists. She wore a light green hair pin that looked like a heart scale. Cagalli stood in front of them, blushing. She honestly hated dress like these. It reminded her too much of where she came from and where she ran away from.<p>

Kira stared at her with his eyes wide open. "You're…you're a girl!" he said aloud. Insulted by his worlds she leaned in holding a fist up in anger. "Gr…what did you think!" she yelled. Kira raised his hands in defense. He shook his head apologetically. "No! I was just saying that this dress reminds me that you are a girl!"

"That amounts to the same thing, Jackass!" She retorted. Andrew and the blue haired girl broke out in laughter. Heero tried to keep calm, but this non-battle environment brought out the human side of him that rarely saw the light of day. He chuckled slightly keeping his eyes closed.

* * *

><p>Back in the Archangel, Murrue was informed on the situation pertaining to the whereabouts of the three teens. "Kira and the others haven't returned yet?" she asked worriedly. The tension in the room grew heavier as everyone grunted at the new developments.<p>

"No. We were supposed to meet here at this time, but they've yet to arrive. Has Sahib and the members of your crew returned?" Kisaka asked. Murrue stood up, feeling this was a situation where she couldn't' take things lightly and relax. "No, not yet" she replied. "The airways are jammed right now so I can't make direct contact with them. When you speak with them again, please instruct a few of them to come back to this location. There have been reports of a Blue Cosmos Terrorist attack in this area. I'd like to do a thorough search, but I don't have enough people." Kisaka admitted.

"Petty officer Pao, get Lieutenant Badgiruel for me" Murrue requested. "Yes ma'am." Pao replied. Sai stood on the stairs headed up toward the upper level of the Bridge. He had a distressed look on his face as he gripped the railing tightly. _"Kira…_"

* * *

><p>Cagalli joined the two and sat down. Andrew looked at her and smiled. "That dress looks very flattering on you." He complimented. "From the looks of it, it seems you're accustomed to dressing up in fine clothing like that." He added.<p>

Cagalli picked her cup of coffee up, bring it to her lips. "Say what you want." Andrew smiled finding her personality such a contrast to how she looked. "The perfect little lady until you speak." He said.

Cagalli replied quickly in response. "Well, your one to talk. I still can't believe that you're the Desert Tiger. Why spend your valuable time dressing people up? Is it to get your kicks, Waltfeld?" she questioned.

"Well, Aisha was the one who selected that ensemble. What do you mean by getting my kicks?"

"Taking a trip into the city while wearing some disguise? Or have residence evacuate their town before burning it. That's what I mean."

Andrew ignored her question and stared into her eyes. "You have a lovely pair of eyes, something sincere about them. Very lovely eyes." He complimented. Feeling angered that she was being ignored; she slammed her hands on the table. "Don't toy with me!"

Andrew was about to speak when Heero interrupted. "Calm down." He said. "There's no point in getting angered. You'd only succeed in getting yourself killed." Everyone looked at Heero as Andrew smiled. "Well seems like one of you doesn't want to die." He turned his attention to Heero. "What's your name? You're a very skilled pilot from what I've seen, and here you show the wisdom of a veteran." Andrew said smiling.

Heero thought for a moment. He thought about if he should give his name to this person. He thought back to when he first got his name, _Heero Yuy._

*flashback*

A young pilot sat in the cockpit of a machine. Its outer shell was white like a shuttle. The pilot wore a dark colored space suit. The color was dark due to the lighting in the room. Glimpse of its actual color, yellow, was seen when the pilot made his final adjustments to the machine, putting his hand near the glow of the screens in the cockpit.

The young pilot looked down at an old man. He seemed very old. He had a frail body. He wore a lab coat, and had the look that screamed scientist. His left arm replaced by a robotic arm. His legs were encased in heavy braces that assisted in his movements. He held a cane in his right hand helping him with his balance. The old man looked up at the boy and smiled. "I'll send you missions to your gundam once you've reach Earth." He said.

"Right."

"Now, we've to come up with a code name for you. How about using the name of the pacifist who fought for peace in the colonies?"

"Roger that…"

*end flashback*

"My name is Heero Yuy."

"Well, Heero. What do you think about all this." He turned his attention toward Kira. "And you. What do you think?" he questioned. "What do you think needs to be done in order for this war to finally end? Give me your opinion as mobile suit pilots!" Andrew said in a demanding tone.

Cagalli lashed out. "What do you know about that?" she questioned. Andrew laughed and stood up. "Being too sincere can also be a liability." Heero watched as Andrew walked toward a drawer. _"Look who's talking…" _He thought.

The two teens moved farther away from him, keeping their distance. Heero remained seated, showing interest to this person's words. "Hmm…"

"Unlike sports; War has no set time limit or points. So how do you determine who is the winner. At what point do we put an end to it?" Cagalli hid behind Kira worried that something bad would happen. She hoped that he would be able to protect her. Kira's eyes showed confusion as he repeated Andrew's words "At...What…point?"

"When every one of your enemies has been destroyed?" Andrew questioned as he pulled out a pistol. Heero stood up and pulled his pistol out aiming it at Andrew in response. Andrew smiled at the speed Heero stood up and pulled his handgun out. He looked over toward him. "So Heero, are you a Coordinator? Only a Coordinator would have that kind of reflexes." Andrew questioned. This question surprised the two as they glanced at Heero. Kira looked at him shocked, _"Is he one…?"_ he thought. Cagalli looked at him as she couldn't imagine Heero being a Coordinator. _"It can't be…"_

Heero answered quickly without pause. "No, I'm not." He said. Where narrowed eyes were once on his face, now only confusion remained. "What…?" was all Andrew could utter.

"I'm not a Coordinator." Heero repeated. Kira and Cagalli looked at Heero, even more shocked than they were when Andrew questioned Heero about being a Coordinator. "H-how?" Cagalli questioned.

"It's difficult to explain…." Heero said calmly. He didn't really wish to go into detail about how much training he had to go through to get where he stood today. _"Endless hours…constant…" _he thought to himself. Heero slipped for a moment while he thought of his past as Andrew noticed his eyes changed slightly.

* * *

><p>Out in the city, Badgiruel, Kisaka, and Jackie searched the area where the kids were supposed to be during the pickup hour. They looked at the damaged restaurant and glanced at each other, hoping that one of them had some glimmer of a clue that would lead them to the three.<p>

* * *

><p>In the Archangel's hangar, Sai stood in front of the Strike as he thought about how everyone relied on Kira and thought how he was the best. He thought of how Flay moved on to Kira and left him behind. Duo stood by Wing Zero looking around, passing time idly. He glanced over to Sai. "Huh?"<p>

He noticed the look in his eyes. Anger, sadness, and envy. He narrowed his eyes. His gut told him something was going to happen, but he didn't know what. All Duo knew was it would involve that boy.

* * *

><p>Andrew kept his look on Heero, puzzled and at the same time, fascinated that such a person existed. <em>"This kid must have gone through one hell of a training program or something" <em>He assumed. He caught a glimpse of Kira's eye movements. He kept his gun pointed at the two. "I'd advise you not to try anything stupid. Even if you have berserker capabilities, you still wouldn't be able to escape out of here with any degree of success. Even if you had this guy helping you, its three kids versus a military strong hold." Andrew said.

Kira looked at Andrew questioningly. "Did you say Berserker?"

"Everyone in here is a Coordinator, just like you. There's no way you could overpower us all." Andrew warned. Surprised by the allegation made by Andrew, Cagalli looked at Kira confusingly. "Huh..! But wait…"

"Even if you aren't a Coordinator, Heero; I have a strong feeling that this boy is one, and by the look he's giving me, my hunch is right." He said. "I saw you in battle on two separate occasions. Take your adjustments for contact pressure on the sand and the heat convection parameters. I would say someone like you would be considered a first rate specimen."

* * *

><p>Sai got into the Strike assuming that no one had seen him. Duo looked up noticing the boy climbing into the cockpit. "What's that kid doing?" Duo rushed toward the machine, hoping to convince the kid to get out. <em>"He probably has no experience in a mobile suit and he's intending on piloting that!"<em>

* * *

><p>Andrew kept his gun aimed at the two as he looked at Heero once again. "It's difficult for me to believe that a Natural could pilot such a machine. Then again, the mobile suit itself isn't registered as an Earth Alliance mobile suit." Heero looked at him calmly listening to his words. Andrew stared into his eyes. There were definitely signs of a cold soldier, yet there was something else inside. "So let me ask you again Heero, what will it take to end this war?"<p>

Heero found this question easy to answer. He felt at home when Andrew asked this question. "A battle ends when all enemies are eliminated. Humans will always fight; it's a part of who we are. It does not matter if we're Coordinators or Naturals. All humans are weak. We're so weak…we can't even fight without weapons." He said coldly. Andrew and Heero looked into the barrel of each other's guns as Andrew was surprised by his words. He smiled at Heero, realizing something. "Sounds like you understand. How many battles have you been in?" he asks Heero. "I've been fighting for as long as I can remember." Heero replies as he oddly found comfort in someone like him who only understood combat.

Andrew smiled, understanding Heero a bit better, even if he had minimal information on the pilot. He felt that his goal for this escapade was nearly complete. What he wanted out of this was a sense of understanding and to gain something that would peak his curiosity. Although he felt conflicted with everything he learned today, he still felt satisfied with the results. He turned his attention looking at Kira.

"If rumors started circulating around that it's actually a Natural who's the pilot of that mobile suit, I'm not one who'd believe it without question. But considering your actions on the battlefield, there's no doubt about it. I have no idea what your reasons are for fighting against your own people, but as long as you remain the pilot of that Earth's forces mobile suit, you and I are destined to be sworn enemies; even if we both are Coordinators."

He relaxed his hold on his pistol as the two teens let their guard down. Heero lowered his gun but he kept it in his hand. "Makes you wonder if there's any other way besides for one of us to be killed in battle." Andrew said casually. Kira and Cagalli looked at him confused while Heero remained calm and seemly indifferent.

* * *

><p>Sai booted up the Strikes system. Nervousness coursed through his veins. The thought of being caught, the thought of actually piloting this machine pushed his adrenaline rush to the maximum. His heart pounded like a battering ram, hitting his chest with full force. He watched as the machine came to life. He looked through the main screen seeing the end of the hangar. The Strike's eyes glowed a bright yellow. The machine started moving out of its holder. The mechanics moved out of the way<p>

"Hey! What the hell?" Murdock shouted. Duo looked up at the suit seeing it moving. He was worried for a slight moment, assuming there was more than one person able to pilot the suit. He calmed down, noticing the suits wobbly movements.

* * *

><p>Andrew's personality changed. He seemed more relaxed, like he was before. "Well the fact is you all saved my life today. And this time, we aren't meeting on the battlefield." Andrew opened puts the gun back and stored it away. He pushed a button on the device sitting on the drawer.<p>

The door opened as the three glanced at Aisha standing by the door. "You're all free to go. I enjoyed talking with you today; although, I can't determine if it was beneficial or not." He said. Kira put his hand on Cagalli's shoulder as they headed to the door, leaving.

"I'll see you on the battlefield." Andrew said. Kira glanced back at Andrew and thought about everything they went through. The two left with a dejected look on their faces. Heero was the last to leave. "I'll see you on the battlefield as well, Heero?" he questioned. Heero looked at him for a moment. Andrew was still astonished that throughout this whole ordeal, Heero's demeanor rarely changed at all.

"You should watch yourself, commander. You're kindness will only lead to heartbreak." Heero glanced at Aisha before he left. Andrew was left with the most unprecedented look of confusion.

* * *

><p>The Strike continued to move as the mechanics and officers gathered in the Hangar. "Will someone please tell me what's going on? The kid hasn't returned from his trip yet, has he?" he questioned<p>

Duo walked up next to Murdock and looked at the Strike. "It's another kid, I think his name was Sai?" he asked wondering if Murdock knew the name.

"Who's inside it?" Mu questioned.

"What? I don't understand this at all" Miriallia said.

Sai tried his best to pilot the machine. He narrowed his eyes in anger. "But why!" he questioned. "It's not fair!" Sai stepped on the lower pads that controlled the suits leg movement and balance. The suit was still connected to the ship by the cable line.

"Hey stop!" Murdock yelled.

Sai struggled to keep the Strike on its feet. The suit fell down on its knees. The system beeped, signaling some kind of error. Sai cried out holding onto the controls tightly. He kept thinking why. Why did Flay go to Kira? Why did Kira let that happen? Why did this have to happen to him?

Flay knew why Sai would such a thing. She didn't want to be the center of everyone's judgment and left the hangar. _"Dummy…"_ She thought. Tears ran down her eyes as she ran.

* * *

><p><strong>Read and review<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Wing

Chapter 6: To the Victor.

Returning to the Archangel was no vacation for Kira. He learned that Sai, one of his closest friends, attempted to pilot the Strike. He piloted the machine and placed it back into its standard position. Getting inside the Strike seemed to kill Kira each time he piloted the machine. He was always reminded that he was fighting Coordinators and worse yet, his own friend.

In an attempt to forget what he did in the past, Kira tried to do whatever he thought was best and hoped that his friendship with Sai would not go in the same direction it did with Athrun. He followed Kuzzey to a room. Sai was placed under solitary confinement for what he did. Kuzzey stopped at the door and looked at Kira. "Kira, it would probably be better if he didn't see you. When I open the door, keep out of sight." Kuzzey suggested. Kira looked at him confused, wondering why he would make such a request.

"You don't want Sai to go nuts again. Not him of all people." Kuzzey turned around and opened the door. The room was dark as if the lights haven't been turned on for a long time. Kira leaned on the wall, taking Kuzzey's suggestion to heart. He figured that it would be for the best. He couldn't help but see his friend's condition with his own eyes. He leaned over looking in.

"I…I'm fine…" Sai said in a low tone. "One week might feel like an eternity but since it's a rule, there's not much we can do" Kuzzey said. Sai smiled at him. The room had many crates and tools. It seemed like a storage room. "I know…don't worry. I'll be alright" Sai said. Kuzzey stood up preparing to leave. Kira took it as his cue to stop spying as he leaned back on the wall. He noticed someone at the other end of the hall that he and Kuzzey came from. The person attempted to hide, but moved too slow. Kira noticed the pink uniform and the strawberry red hair. "Hmm…"

* * *

><p>Heero stood by Wing Zero looking at Duo. When the coast was clear the two spoke. "Find anything interesting while I was away?" Heero asked. Duo smiled and put his hand on Heero's shoulder. "I did some digging, but I'll let you read about that yourself. I'm sure you can access it quickly enough. What about you?" Duo asked as he looked at Heero.<p>

"I found nothing about the location of the scientist; but I did find out about this group called Blue Cosmos. " Heero said. "I know I read about them when I did a bit of digging." Duo stated as he looked to the floor and thought for a moment. "We need to find the guy before something really bad happens." Duo said. "Yea…." Heero said. Heero grabbed his laptop and began reading over the information Duo found. He looked as each screen displayed pictures of heinous acts the group did just in the name of genomic purity. _"If a group like this gets their hands on anything related to our era's technology, there's no stopping them."_ He thought.

Duo left Heero, letting him read the information on his own. "Well I think I'll go and check what's going on around here. I'll see you in a bit." He said as he walked away. Heero ignored him and continued reading the information.

* * *

><p>Outside, Murrue, Mu, and Badgiruel met Sahib once again to discuss their battle plan. "This area is full of caves from abandoned mines." Sahib points to a marked location on the map. "And this location has mines that we've set. If we were going to use any place for a battlefield, it would be this one. The enemy is probably thinking the same thing. It would be a waste not to put our land mines to good use."<p>

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" Mu questioned. "Putting us aside, if you consider how well you're equipped, you can expect heavy casualties"

Sahib sighed. "We could do as the tiger says, give up and work for those guys. It's a very tempting offer since we would be promised a most peaceful life; much like in Banadiya. In fact, a great number of the women have asked us to consider it. However, a rulers hand can be unpredictable and brutal. I believe our families suffered for centuries because of this."

Mu sighed heavily understanding the people's want for freedom under their own will.

"We will not rule, and will not be ruled. That is all we wish for. If we could reclaim the mining area that the tiger took over in the east, that wish should come true." Sahib sighed heavily. "Of course we'll be taking advantage of your power for our purpose too, that should make it even. That should set your mind at ease."

Seeing a proper course in action, Mu saw that the plan was pretty good; it could be pulled off. He supported it fully. "Alright then, I'm with you." He said. He glanced over toward Murrue seeing if the Captain agreed with this battle plan or not. "Uh Captain?"

Seeing the look on Mu's face, it was tough not to agree to the condition of assisting the Desert Dawn members. "Then it's settled. We will be glad to accept your cooperation with us in this plan to get past the Lesseps." Sahib nodded approvingly.

* * *

><p>Back in the hangar, the soldiers gathered around a simulator that was set up next to one of the Skygrasper units. The soldiers watched Cagalli's piloting on the simulator. Everyone was astounded by her level of skill. "Gotcha!" Cagalli cried out shooting down two Ginns. Arthur leaned over next to her looking at her performance.<p>

"That's pretty good…uh, Cagalli. Isn't that your name? Haven't you flown an aircraft before in actual combat?" Cagalli got distracted by the compliment and missed her last target. The screen turned blank and displayed a 'TIME UP' message. The screen shows her statistics and ranking on the simulation. Everyone cheered and talked about how she got the highest score.

Duo noticed the commotion and excitement as he walks over looking at the simulation. Miriallia turned, looking at Duo with a smile "Oh, it's you."

She offered her hand to him as she introduced herself. "My name's Miriallia Haw. It's nice to meet you." Duo smiles back as he shook her hand in return. "The names Duo Maxwell, it's nice to meet you to." One by one the soldiers introduced themselves with the exception of the senior officers. Duo looked at each of the children. He couldn't help but to feel pity for them. To be stuck on the ship, becoming soldiers then they haven't gotten to experience life as normal teenagers. The only life he could imagine that was worse than theirs was his own, the life of a Gundam Pilot.

Duo glanced over at the screen seeing images of statistics and ranks. "So what's with the simulator? One of you training to be a fighter pilot?" he asked looking at the teens. Most of them looked the other way, finding it hard to see themselves as pilots. Duo smiled, dropping the subject.

Cagalli stood up looking at the teens. "You guys are pretty pathetic when it comes to being soldiers. I bet you haven't even held a real gun before. You're going to get yourselves killed. We're fighting a war you know." She advised.

"She's right." Arthur supported.

Miriallia wasn't fond of hearing Cagalli comparing her to the standard idea of a soldier. "So what if we haven't held a gun before and we haven't? It's nothing to brag about you know." she said.

"But being a soldier, who's never handled one before; that's nothing to brag about either." Arthur advised. The teens sighed solemnly. Tolle stepped forth and looked at the simulator. "Hey can I try this thing too?" he asked. Arthur chuckled but looked at him seriously. "Hey mister, it's not a game." Tolle saluted him putting up an act, trying to be like a soldier. "Yes sir! I shall consider it training and take the lessons seriously, Sir!"

Noticing the teens having a moment of fun and peace, Duo decided to leave them. _"No point in furthering their experience of war. If there's any chance for them to have a normal life I should let them have it."_ He thought. Duo notice Cagalli standing near one of the Skygraspers, looking intensely at the Wing Zero. _"Why is she so angered by Wing Zero? Not that I blame her, but she doesn't know anything about the suit….so why…?"_ he wondered. Duo approached her and tapped her shoulder.

Jumping slightly from the touch, Cagalli turned around, seeing Duo in front of her smiling as always. "Oh, it's you…" she said distastefully. "Anything I can help you with?" he asked her. Cagalli didn't reply. She kept her gaze on Heero and then glanced up at Wing Zero. Duo chuckled at how hypnotized she was in front of the machine. "Hey, you listening?" he said waving in hand in front of her face.

Cagalli grunted and yelled. "What, people can't stare at things they haven't seen?" she argued. "I think it's called being rude…" Duo said giving her a light smirk. Cagalli calmed down, realizing Duo was right. "I'm sorry. It's just…" She thought about whether or not she should reveal the fact that she had ties to Orb. "I just want to know about the machine. It's just so different from the Strike and yet, it seems similar at the same time." She said. She tried to hide something and Duo noticed it.

"Look, I don't know what you're trying to get out of all of this, but the less you know about that forsaken machine, the better." Duo advised. "Trust me."

Cagalli looked at him questioningly. "Forsaken? What do you mean? Have you piloted it before?" she asked. Before Duo could answer her question Heero walked by the two. Cagalli caught sight of Heero leaving and rushed toward him. "Hey, Heero, wait up!" she yelled. Heero stopped turning around as Cagalli stood in front of him. "What?" Heero asked. "I just wanted to ask some questions about your mobile suit. It's different from the Strike and I'm just curious. I'm sorry about the first time I asked about your suit, it's just I wanted to know…" Cagalli said. She hid the fact that she was really trying to find out why Heero's suit was in ways, more superior than the Strike, where it came from and what make it so unique or rather "forsaken" as Duo put it. Heero stayed quiet for a moment as he knew Cagalli was hiding something. "If you want to know then all you have to do is ask with true intentions, not by lying about why you want to know." He said. Cagalli was surprised that both he and Duo had figured her out so quickly. Duo looked on as he listened to the conversation.

He smiled glancing over to the simulator. Hearing the cheers from the teens reminded him of times at the Arcade during the years of peace he lived with Hilde. Even though it wasn't a real game, to Duo, it was a game. His culmination of experience gave him what seemed like a vast knowledge on handling mobile suits or fighters. Duo shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "I think I will try that simulation out…" he said as he walked toward the simulation for the Skygrasper.

* * *

><p>Outside just above some small cliffs, Cagalli stood as she looked at Heero. Heero had his arms crossed as usual as he waited for Cagalli to speak. He had to admit, he had some sort of curiosity building within him to see what this girl had to hide. "I'm not really who I say I am." She admitted. This news came as not so much as a surprise to Heero seeing how certain people acted around her. He remained still and continued listening.<p>

"I come from a neutral nation called Orb. It's where the G-weapons, like the Strike were manufactured. That's how I know so much about it, I guess." Cagalli continued to explain her role but left out details of how important she was. Cagalli found a sense of trust she could give with Heero. It was like she could see a bright light of hope in his eyes.

Having heard all she had to say, Heero nodded, assuring her that her secret would be kept. He wasn't sure what else she had to hide, but he was respectful of her wishes not to have that revealed. "Understood." He said.

"So what can you tell me about Wing Zero?" She asked. Heero found himself in an odd situation. He never conversed with many females, and those he did conversed with were normally soldiers such as Noin and Sally Po, with Relena being the exception from time to time. He felt that he could entrust her with some of Zero's secrets, but he kept its most important features hidden, even from Cagalli. "The suit is made of a very resistant alloy called Gundanium."

Cagalli felt betrayed and played with. She looked at Heero confusingly. _"All I get is what it's made up of!"_ She stormed off in anger.

Heero watched her leave as he paused seeing something. He had a vision of his past, seeing the little girl and her dog. He sighed heavily balling up a tight fist. "Even now I'm still…"

* * *

><p>Cagalli walked back into the hangar to see a larger crowd around the Skygrasper simulator. "What's going on over there?" She walked up to the machine, seeing Duo finishing up his turn on the simulator. "Huh?"<p>

The time out screen displayed as she watched the statistics and ranking. The rank was higher than hers. She couldn't believe it. Duo's name placed first with a score of '666'. Duo grinned to show his excitement about winning to the crowd.

Duo got up and walked away. He headed out when he spotted Heero walking towards Wing Zero. Duo felt victorious succeeding in out ranking everyone on the simulator. He walked up to Heero and smiled like a jackass. Heero had regained his composure and thought that working on his gundam would give him some time to calm down and think things through. He looked over at Duo. His smiled annoyed him. Heero was used to Duo smiling and showing emotions most of the time. Sometimes he even showed it in the most inappropriate situation, such as missions. But this time it was different. It had all the looks of pride and glory. "That look doesn't suit you. Don't you have better things to do?" he asked. Heero's tone showed he found Duo's interaction with the simulation less than amusing.

Duo chuckled lightly. "Come on, we're not in battle right now and we should lighten up when we can. Being too serious can kill you. Not to mention I don't have suit of my own to pilot or work on." Duo said.

Heero was quiet for a moment. He thought about what he should do about his absurd visions of his past. He sighed and looked over at the simulator. He walked over to the empty machine and sat down without saying a word or receiving permission. "Hey you can't just—oh!" Arthur said noticing it was Heero sitting in the cockpit. "I'll start it up for you…" he said.

"Thanks." Heero said flatly.

The teens watched enthusiastically, wanting to see how good Heero was compared to Duo. Heero watched the screen carefully moving the controls swiftly dodging the shots and returning fire. They were amazed; as not only did Heero not get hit during the simulation but somehow, he scored higher than Duo. Heero lets out a light smile of satisfaction before leaving as headed toward his mobile suit once again.

* * *

><p>In the hallways of the officer's quarters, Kira lied in bed thinking about everything he had gone through. His small mechanical pet jumped around and moved about in the room. He had his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. He heard the alert buzzing that indicated someone was about to enter. "Kira?"<p>

He sat up. Glancing at the opened door he noticed Flay walking in, uninvited. "What's this? What are you doing here in the dark?" she questioned. Flay turned on the lights illuminating the dark room. Kira sighed when he glanced at Flay. She was the last person he wanted to see. "What was all that about earlier?" he questioned her, wondering why she spied on him. "You were there weren't you, where Sai is."

Flay ignored his question and sat down next to him. There was a brief moment of silence. Flay sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. "That Sai, he's so misguided." She said. Her tone was that of an evil manipulative bitch. "There's no way a guy like him could compete against someone like you." She said, trying to build up Kira's confidence and in turn her own control over him. "The boy is such a fool" she said bluntly.

"Uh...Flay?" Kira questioned. He found it so difficult that she could say such callous things about her ex. He sighed wondering if he had caused all of this trouble by giving into his male urges that night. _"If only that night had not happened…everything would be fine now!"_ he thought. Flay looked at Kira concerned. "Kira?"

Flay tried to move closer to him, but Kira kept inching away. "Kira?" She asked once more. Kira sighed looking down on the floor. She assumed he was confused again and went on the attack. "You know it's going to be okay. I'm always here for you…" She leaned in and tried to kiss him, trying to get him aroused. She attempted to use her body to control him.

Kira was in no mood for intercourse. He pushed Flay back. "F-Flay!" Flay didn't listen and tried to grinds her body on his. Kira pushed Flay off and stood up. "Stop it already." Taken back by his action she looked at him confusingly. "Kira?"

"Sorry" Kira said before leaving his room. Flay sat on the bed her arm reached out. "Kira!" she cried. She lowered her head in defeat sighing softly. Kira ran down the hall finding a small opening. He walked in and sat down hiding in the dark area.

* * *

><p>The next day, several Vulphau transport planes unloaded mobile suits for Commander Waltfeld's use. The ships unloaded an orange mobile suit. It seemed similar to Zaft's Ginn unit, but it had the capability to transforming into a tank form. Inside the Lesseps, Andrew slammed a file down on his desk. "What is up with those guys at Gibraltar? Why are they sending us Zuoots? Are they all out of Bucues?"<p>

Decosta stood in front of his commander reporting what the base's commanding officers told him. "Well, they said they couldn't provide us with any more of them. Perhaps they think they're doing us a favor by sending those two guys. They're here to assist with the mobile suit that joined the Earth Forces. They've labeled the unit, Delta One"

"Their pilot's battle experience is limited to space. I can't help but think they'll only get in the way. I'd only imagine that they'd waste their lives fighting against _that_ pilot." Andrew thought back to what Heero said, in regards to him being too kind. _"Maybe kindness is what's needed to change the course of war….but maybe I'm just too knee deep in a foolish dream."_

"They are from an elite unit."

"I don't like the fact that they're from the Le Creuset team. I can never stand that guy." Andrew commented.

* * *

><p>Outside the suits were unloaded as the Vulphau transport planes left the area. Dearka and Yzak disembarked their units and stood out in the sand, waiting for the Commander. The wind blew, picking the sand up and pushing it toward their faces. "What are we doing in a place like this!" Dearka questioned.<p>

"They say you can't really appreciate the desert until you've lived here. So welcome to the Lesseps. I'm Andrew Waltfeld, the commanding officer here." Andrew commented. The two saluted the commander and stated their name and team. "Yzak Joule, of the Le Creuset team."

"Dearka Elsman, also of the Le Creuset team"

Andrew and Decosta saluted the soldiers in return. "It must have been tough getting down here. We appreciate you coming"

"Thank you, sir." Yzak said calmly.

Andrew smiled noticing the scar on his face. "When one doesn't have a scar removed, some might think it's a symbol of your commitment." Yzak turned his head away, not wanting to discuss the matter behind his scar. "Or since you've turned your head away, maybe it's a symbol of your humiliation." Andrew said.

"Why don't you just tell us where the Legged ship is?"

"Currently it's at a resistance base approximately a hundred and eighty kilometers southeast of here. We sent out reconnaissance drone. You want to see the pictures?" Andrew looked at the two G-weapon units. "Yep, I see they're the same of machine as that other one." He commented.

"Speaking of mobile suits, where's this Delta One unit we're supposed to handle. What about the alliances' mobile suit commander? What can you tell us about your engagement with it?" Dearka asked.

Andrew thought back to the battle and remembered how Kira dominated the battle near the end. He sighed, "Yea…well. We did as best as the Le Creuset team. As for the Delta One unit, I haven't engaged it in battle at all."

* * *

><p>Back at the Desert Dawn's base, the Archangel and resistance group gathered their weapons ready for their attack on the Desert Tiger. The soldiers gathered all of their materials. "Bring all of it, we can't afford to leave anything behind!" someone shouted. Kisaka moved, bringing crates and missile launchers. He stopped seeing Cagalli taking something from a young woman.<p>

The Archangel's thrusters ignited as it moved. The ship ascended high above the sand. The jeeps set off ahead of the ship. "Let's move out!" Sahib ordered. The civilians watched as their husbands, brothers, siblings and other family members left to fight this battle for their freedom. Kisaka sat in one of the jeeps next to Cagalli. "What's that?" he asked, seeing a small, bright stone in her hand.

"Hm?" She looked down. "It's something that my friend Ahmed was going to give to me someday. His mother just gave it to me."

"It looks like a chunk of malachite, it's huge."

When she looked down at the stone, she remembered the look on Ahmed's face just before he died. He looked down tightening her grip on the stone as she cried. "That stinking piece of trash!"

* * *

><p>The Buster and Duel stood on top of the Lesseps as Yzak and Dearka followed Decosta and Commander Waltfeld. The group entered the ship. "Tell me the enemy's position."<p>

"Yes sir" Andrew and the others gathered behind the small screen. "They're moving north to northwest from their previous location." The soldier said.

"It's the Legged Ship."

"They're headed for the remains of the Talbadia factory district. Well, I couldn't say I wouldn't do the same thing. If I was their commander I would try to blow right through us."

"What do we do sir?" Decosta asked.

"I hoped that they would have waited a little bit longer, can't change that"

"Aren't we attacking?" Yzak asked

"We are. Listen up! We're moving out, Code 02. Notify the Petrie and Henry Carter immediately!"

* * *

><p>Inside the Archangel's mess hall, Kira looked down at his food tray as he sighed depressingly.<p>

"What's taking you so long, hurry up and eat." Mu said. "Here." Mu placed one of his extra sandwiches onto Kira's tray. Kira watched Mu eating. He had already eaten the standard amount given on the food trays. "Uh Commander, haven't you had enough to eat?" he questioned. Mu smiled at him and replied. "Listen kid, we're getting ready to go into a big battle here. If we don't eat, we won't have any strength." He held up a condiment bottle that had a faded blue top. "Try this; it tastes great with yogurt sauce."

Kira looked at the body as his eyes widened. He remembered Andrew's words from their last encounter. Mu looked at him oddly. "Huh?"

"It's just the Tiger said the same thing. It tastes great with yogurt sauce."

"Ah, you don't say. That man knows his food." Mu said. "I'll tell you. It's a lot easier fighting an enemy you don't personally know. Just forget him!" Kira looked at him confusingly; his adolescent mind unable to comprehend the importance of war. "Huh?"

"When you're fighting for your life against an opponent you know personally, it's just that much harder to face him."

Kira was shocked by his words. He was reminded of his friend Athrun, who was practically like a brother to him. He sighed looking down sadly. Suddenly an explosion sounded around the ship. Mu and Kira stood up looking around. "What was that?" an officer questioned.

* * *

><p>In the bridge Murrue looked at the screen seeing flames and clouds of dark smoke rising to the sky. "The explosions are coming from the mine fields." Badgiruel informed.<p>

The Dawn members stopped looking at the destruction of the mine field they intended to use. "Damn…so the Tiger's baring his fangs at us…" Sahib said cautiously.

* * *

><p>Inside the hangar Heero sat in Wing Zero's cockpit. He hacked into the Archangel's sensors and linked it with his suits, giving him a greater radius of detection. "Hmm…." Heero looked at in the incoming cruisers. "Land based ships, three of them." Heero continued looking at the situation of the inevitable battle. "I'll have to fight…" he concluded. He closed his eyes thinking of what kind of strategic maneuver the enemy would attempt to do. He had to be one step ahead of his opponent. He didn't want to use the Zero System just yet. He felt that he had enough experience to read an enemy's intentions on his own without Zero.<p>

* * *

><p>The Petrie set a course along with the Lesseps. The ships began launching their mobile suits. "What's the status of the Henry Carter?" Decosta asked. "Sir it's still on its assigned route. There are no indications that the enemy has detected it yet." A soldier replied.<p>

* * *

><p>In the Archangel, Kira and Mu readied themselves for combat. "That's right Launcher on the first, Sword on the second one. I'll tell you why, because it's quicker for me to change aircraft then it is for me to change equipment. It's the fundamental basic here!" Mu ordered. He disconnected the communication line and sighed. Even though they had two mobile suit pilots and a mobile fighter pilot, Mu still felt concerned that they were seriously outgunned. "I hate to say it, but I don't think we can rely much on the fighting strength of those Guerillas."<p>

"I know…"

"I would wish you luck, but after seeing you fight lately I don't think you're going to need it."

Kira thought for a moment when a concerning question came to mind. "Uh sir?" Mu turned around looking at him. "What is it?"

"What exactly is a berserker?" he questioned. Mu explained to Kira what berserkers were. Kira was shocked to hear that berserkers were kind-hearted people, but upon entering battle, they became completely different people.

"Commander La Flaga and Ensign Yamato, please report to your machines." Miriallia's voice called out on the intercom.

The two headed out of the dressing room and went straight to the hangar.

* * *

><p>Heero sat in the cockpit as he looked at the incoming choppers. He contacted the bridge to warn them of the incoming choppers. Murrue looked up at the main screen. "Heero?"<p>

"There's a large group of choppers headed toward you, approaching from one thirty. There are also two ships heading straight for the Archangel" He warned. Just as Heero finished his warning, the radar blared. "Something on radar!" Kuzzey informed. Badgiruel and Murrue glanced over to Kuzzey. They were shocked to see that Heero's warning was so accurate. Murrue reacted quickly in response. "Roger. Anti-air, ship, and mobile suits attack!"

Heero's face appeared on the screen once again. "I'm launching." He said. He disconnected the line right after announcing his launch. Badgiruel gritted her teeth in anger. "Why that little…"

"Open the launch pad." Murrue ordered. "But Captain!" Badgiruel argued. "I know, but considering out situation, we'll need all the help we can get!" Murrue said. She looked down at Miriallia. "Put Wing Zero and Heero down as friendly." She requested.

Wing Zero stepped onto the launch pad. Heero glanced at the footing the catapult had for the mobile suit. The frame was too skinny for Wing Zero's foot. Heero continued walking near the edge. The suit launched out into the open sky. It transforms into its Neo Bird-mode, flying off and engaging the choppers and mobile suits.

* * *

><p>Back in the Archangel Miriallia informed Murrue and Badgiruel of Wing Zero's odd launch. The two were surprised that Heero didn't used the catapult. "That suit can launch without a catapult? What kind of suit has that much acceleration?" Badgiruel questioned. Murrue turned, facing the screen. She too questioned why Heero didn't use their catapult, but right now, she needed to focus on this battle.<p>

"Let's move, launch the Strike and Skygrasper!" Badgiruel ordered.

* * *

><p>The Skygrasper entered the launch bay and stopped behind the indicator. "La Flaga, Skygrasper 1, prepare for takeoff." Miriallia informed over the intercom. The rear door closed as everything was set. Mu watched the indicator waiting for a clear. The light blue color glowed as the Skygrasper launched into the battle.<p>

The Strike was up next. The suit was placed on the launch pad as the foot holders secured their grip. The suit was outfitted with the Aile Striker pack

"Are you sure you're okay with just the Aile?" Murdock questioned.

"Yes, against Bucues, I need more mobility."

"Roger that."

The pack connected to the suits back while it grabbed ahold of the shield and rifle. Once the Aile Strike was completely equipped the indicator turned light blue, giving Kira the OK to launch.

"Kira Yamato, taking off!"

The Strike launched out into the fray. One of the choppers fired its weapons on the Strike right when it launched out. The Strike moved its shield in front of its face to block the rounds and waited for the firing to end. Once the shots ceased, the Strike returned fire as a volley of rounds launched toward the chopper destroying it.

* * *

><p>"So they've launched…" Andrew said. He seemed pleased to see both Delta One and the Strike out on the battlefield. He looked toward a soldier in the rear. "Decosta's in charge. I'm headed out. Get my Lagowe ready!" he ordered. Yzak barged in and looked at the screen. His first glance was toward the Strike. He ignored Delta One as his attention was fixated on the Strike. His rage grew as he saw the Strike battling. "I will get you! I will shoot you down!" he yelled<p>

"Yzak! Come over here!" Dearka yelled out. Yzak glared over at Dearka as if he were furious at him. "What!" he questioned angrily. Dearka pointed at the screen where the images displayed Delta One decimating their forces. "How can a suit destroy our units so easily?" Yzak asked. Dearka grew concerned seeing how the Delta One moved and fought. "I don't know, but I know a way we can find out…" He shot a smile at Yzak.

Yzak grinned knowing what he meant. "Let's got then!" he said. Yzak and Dearka rushed out to the hangar.

* * *

><p>Landing on the sand the Strike's Phase Shift armor activated as the Archangel defended itself against the choppers. Some of the choppers tried to get in close and attack the Strike but all they succeeded in was a failed kamikaze. One of the choppers fired a missile round at the Archangel. The round hurled toward the bridge but only managed to hit the ships 'neck'. Murrue gripped onto her chair and held on tightly as the bridge shook.<p>

One of the support ships lets out a squadron of Bucues as it fired its cannons at the Archangel. The Bucues spread out as one of the two ships aimed their cannons at the ship. Mu notice that there were some choppers nearing the bridge as he rushes and fires the machine cannons destroying them. "No you don't!" he yelled.

"Valiants, fire!" Badgiruel yelled. On the terrain, Kira was handling the Bucues that were launched as he tried to find out how many enemies' there were. "How many Bucues are we dealing with, Mu?" he asked getting no response as he dodged one of the Bucues cannons.

Heero fired his buster rifles as the long stream destroys a line of choppers. The suit transformed into its mobile suit mode with the saber drawn. Hovering above the sand, the suit dashed forward. Wing Zero dodged the missiles shot by the Bucues. Wing Zero turned and rotated, easily dodging the wave of missiles. The suit stuck its arm out as it flew by a Bucue. The saber slashed through the Bucue's armor like butter. Sparks flew as Wing Zero came to a stop. The suit jerked its right arm up completing the slash as the mobile suit fell apart in half. The Bucue blew up behind Wing Zero. Heero continued his demolition of the mobile suits; his eyes moved back and forth seeing all the targets.

An oddity in Wing Zero's cockpit was that there were now exact visual besides the small screen on the cockpit. The entire section was black as night, save for crosshairs appearing and disappearing. Heero was use to this and used Wing Zero as an extension of his body. This seemed to strengthen his bond with the suit as he learned to 'sense' what was happening on the battle field rather than relying on visuals. "Hm?"

Heero noticed a crosshair on the screen. Glancing down at the sphere in the center of the cockpit he could see how far the object was from the battlefield. _"Attacking the rear…good try."_ He thought. Heero kept on fighting, waiting for the right moment he could abandon the grunts and handle the incoming ship. _"Estimated time for arrival shouldn't be too long…I'll just keep fighting until it arrives."_

* * *

><p>Inside the Lesseps' hangar an orange mobile suit that seemed similar to a Bucue stood with its zip line lowered. Andrew stood by Aisha. His pilot suit was black and orange; the orange areas had stripes similar to a tigers. His suit truly reflected his nickname. Aisha's suit was similar to those of all the other solders, but the color was an offset faded pink or violet. Andrew was about to board his machine when he glanced over to see Yzak and Dearka approaching him.<p>

"Commander, what the heck is going on around here? Why are we stuck on top of the Lesseps?" Yzak questioned. Andrew found the boy's question humorous in some ways. "Oh my, do all members of the La Creuset team object orders given to them by their superior officers? Or are you just extra special" Andrew asked.

Yzak replied quickly ready to defend his name as a soldier. "No however we've more experience battling that Legged ship."

"Losing experience doesn't count as experience. And did you forget we're not just facing the Strike and Legged ship, we're also facing the Delta One unit." Aisha teased.

"What?" Yzak yelled shocked that someone would say such a thing to him.

Andrew glanced over toward her. "Aisha…"

"Sorry"

He looked at Yzak seriously. He knew that the two pilots were like any other skilled red coat. He couldn't imagine them facing off against the Strike or anyone. They didn't display of promising qualities that he thought was needed to face the Strike or Delta One Pilot. _"There experience is limited. They're not ready." _He tried to save the boy from more humiliation. "You're suits are designed for artillery battle. You won't be able to move as fast as the Bucues." He stopped, thinking for a moment. "Although if you're so determined to go out to battle, I could let you try your hand at taking down Delta One."

Yzak gritted his teeth in anger. He wanted to face the Strike, not some unknown suit. Dearka stepped forward and held him back, trying to calm him down. "That's enough Yzak, we have our orders." The two saluted the commander and left. "Don't worry, as soon as we take down this Delta One; they'll be plenty of chances to attack them." Dearka commented quietly.

Andrew held onto the zip line watching the two leave. "Can you believe that kid's attitude? He's in for a rude awakening with that kind of mouthy insolence."

Aisha smiled chuckling slightly. "That's true; especially when you've sent them to attack the Delta One unit. From what you've told me Andy, I don't think there'd be anyone less fitting for the job besides that pilot." Aisha got onto the Lagowe. The hatch opened. "Alright Decosta, I'm leaving you in charge."

"Yes sir,"

Andrew looked down at the second seat as Heero's words repeated in his mind. He shook his head trying to focus on the battle. "Waltfeld, Lagowe, heading out!" The suit jumped onto the sand .The suit had a completely different design from the Bucue and it was outfitted with beam cannons on its back. The suit's foot track slid on the sand as it headed into battle.

* * *

><p>The Archangel continued to fire at the foes along with the Desert Dawn. The Strike jumped onto one of the Bucues that chased the Desert Dawn's jeep and fired its head, sending of a chain of explosions that ultimately destroyed the suit. "Who's next!" Kira yelled.<p>

* * *

><p>The Archangel shook violently as it was bombarded with fire from the enemy. "The intensity of the ECM and the ECCM has risen to seventeen percent." Sai informed<p>

"Warning: Valiants barrel temperature is rising to dangerous levels."

"Captain, Permission to fire Lohengrin?"

"Denied. There's too much risk of contaminating the environment. Well just use the charge cycle and adjust the valiants' output."

"But…"

"That's an order!" she yelled.

"Understood, ma'am" Badgiruel said sourly.

* * *

><p>Out on the battlefield, the Desert Dawn members were losing forces rapidly. Mu flew into the Petrie and fired at one of the Zuoots. The Launchers beam cannon cut right through the suits armor destroying it instantly. The Petrie was hit by the Skygrasper's beam. The bridge shook as the crew members reported the condition of the ship to the captain. "Put those fires out! Maneuver us for cover behind those pile of debris!" the captain ordered.<p>

Inside the Lesseps Decosta looked on at the condition of the battle. "That is a very powerful cannon, but the Henry Carter should be in position soon. Hang in there guys"

* * *

><p>Heero continued to battle the Bucues. The sensors blared as he looked over seeing two new mobile suits coming toward him. "Hmm…they're the other G-weapons. The ones stolen by Zaft…" Heero watched seeing the pilots using their suits thrusters to keep their suits off the sand. <em>"They haven't accounted for the sand…"<em>

The Duel Assault Shroud flew up and landed down and flew up once more, trying to 'jump' to get into Delta One's range. "Damn it. What's going on? Why won't it move on this crummy sand?" Yzak yelled. Dearka grunted landing his suit. He tried to focus and see what alterations were needed to adapt the suit to this particular environment. He pulled out the keyboard and began typing rapidly. Yzak was too blindly focused by anger and determination to calm down and make any changes.

After a brief moment Dearka's unit, the Buster, stood upright. "Ok, that's better. Yzak!" he yelled. Yzak had his sights on Delta One. "There you are, hurry up and fall so I can get to the Strike!" Yzak yelled. He fired his rifle and the rail gun mounted on the right shoulder. Since Yzak didn't make any changes to involve the heat convection of the desert, the beams were not accurate even though he had a dead on shot.

Heero maneuvered the Wing Zero back and forth dodging the shots with ease. The machine cannons flipped over and fired at the Duel. The Due raised its shield blocking the rounds. Yzak grunted and moved the Duel closer toward Delta One. The Duel stopped in front of Delta One and moved the shield out of the way, pulling out its saber. The Duel slashed down at the suit. Heero read his movements like an open book. He moved Wing Zero back as it rose up in the air. Yzak looked up and lost control of the Duel's stability on the sand. It fell and slipped on the sand.

Heero saw his chance. The suit flew down and stopped. It aimed the twin buster rifle at point blank range. Yzak looked down at the barrel in horror. He screamed watching helplessly as the energy built up. He prepared to fire the weapon when Heero heard the sensors' warning of an incoming heat source. The suit pulled away as the shots passed through the two suits.

"I won't let you!" Dearka yelled. The Buster combined its rifles into one of the two configurations as the beam charged. Dearka aimed at Delta One. "I doubt you can dodge this!" Dearka pulled the trigger and the Buster fired its weapon. The beam shot out and burst. The shot spread out into many smaller beams that headed toward Delta One.

Heero narrowed his eyes pushing the control handles forward. The Wing Zero's binder opened as the thrusters inside ignited, it twirled and moved about elegantly, it raised its shield up blocking shots that it could not dodge. Dearka watched in amazement as this pilot was able to dodge nearly all of the shots. "What the hell?" he yelled.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere the Strike destroyed one Bucue after another. Kira yelled as the Strike sliced one unit in two. The Strike landed and looked over. Kira noticed one unit rushing towards him. The Strike moved quickly and threw its saber at the Bucue. The saber pierced its head and destroyed the mono-eye. The Strike pulled out its rifle and fired at the suit, destroying it.<p>

The Strike dashed toward another unit. It kicked the head off of this unit; Kira then turned around and fired the rifle at its torso. The suit blew up instantly. Kira breathed heavily. He was growing tired of fighting. He remembered what Andrew said. He shook his head trying to focus on the battle. His sensors blared when he looked at the radar, seeing the Archangel under attack.

* * *

><p>Missiles headed toward the ship from behind. Three missiles were fired and one of them hit the ship. The bridge shook as everyone tried to determine what happened.<p>

"Ship approaching, six o' clock. Its there's."

"What did you say?" Murrue asked.

"Another ship? It's an ambush!" Badgiruel yelled.

* * *

><p>The Henry Carter came into view as it fired on the Archangel's rear.<p>

Kira glanced back at the ship, concerned for its safety. "No the Archangel!" Kira heard the sound of beams being fired as he moved the Strike out of the way of two incoming blasts. Kira watched as this new orange suit appeared before him.

"Hey there you little hot shot, you got to fight me first." Andrew said.

Kira narrowed his eyes looking at the machine.

* * *

><p>The Archangel continued to move out of the Henry's Carter's range but it was fruitless to do so. The ship continued firing at the Archangel. Cannon fire hit the ship's side, causing it to veer toward the old factory. The ship was stuck behind one of the buildings.<p>

A jeep stopped by the ship as Cagalli looked up at the Archangel. "No, the Archangel!"

"It's nothing but a sitting duck out there. Where's the Strike?" Kisaka questioned. Cagalli rushed out of the jeep heading toward the ship. "Cagalli!"

* * *

><p>The Lagowe fired its beam cannons at the Strike. The Strike held up its shield defensively as the Lagowe circled the unit. Kira moved out the way and returned fire, but the Lagowe's movement was too swift for a direct hit. "That isn't a Bucue…the command unit! Is it his?" Kira questioned. Kira looked over noticing the Lagowe charging at him once more.<p>

The Lagowe fired its cannons, but the beams were deflected by the Strike's shield. Aisha smiled in the cockpit when she noticed the Strike's maneuver. "Oh my, he is good." She commented.

"Told you, he was even better the other day when his intensity was turned up." Andrew said. Aisha heard Andrew's tone. She knew him for a long time and knew that tone all too well. "You're taking this rather well…" she said. Andrew didn't say anything; he didn't want to admit that he didn't want to fight this kid. "This is difficult for you, isn't it?" She asked. "I can tell...you're very fond of him…"

"Think he'd surrender?" Andrew asked, sounding hopeful.

"Not a chance."

The two suits took to the sky. Kira attempted to shoot the unit down, assuming that the unit couldn't do much in the sky. The Strike fired its rifle. The beam headed straight for the Lagowe. Andrew maneuvered the suit to the side, dodging the blast. The Lagowe charged at the Strike, hitting it head on. Kira yelled as the suit fell to the sand. The thrusters on the Aile pack ignited saving him from a hard landing. The alarm sounded, alerting Kira of the low battery level.

* * *

><p>The Archangel was stuck. The Lesseps and Petrie fired all of its weapons at the Archangel's side. The Henry Carter fired at its rear. The situation seemed hopeless. In the hangar Duo held onto the wall as the ship shook violently. "What kind of battles going on out there…?" Being stuck on the sidelines was no joyous event for Duo. If he had it his way he'd be fighting the units himself, but sadly, he had no mobile suit. He regained his stability and stood upright for a moment. He walked out to the hangar seeing the second Skygrasper unit. A smirk grew on his face as an idea arose in his mind.<p>

The Archangel retaliated by firing its missiles. Most of the missiles were shot down by the one remaining Zuoot. Some of the missiles managed to get through and damage the ship.

"What's the status on our forces?" Murrue questioned.

"The Strike is low on power. Commander La Flaga is still combating the enemy forces, and Wing Zero is engaging two units…wait. The Buster and Duel?" Miriallia informed. Everyone paused for a moment when they heard that those two suits were in the battle. Murrue grew worried, she knew Heero was a skilled pilot, but she didn't think he'd be able to handle both G-weapons on his own, even if his suit didn't run out of power.

"Ascend, full thrusters! Why aren't we firing the Gottfried's?" she questioned.

"I'm trying, but the ship seems to be caught on something outside!" Arthur said.

* * *

><p>The ship shook once again. Murdock held onto the wall and kept himself up. He looked at the door and saw Cagalli rushing in. "Hey what are you doing?" he yelled. Cagalli was about to board the remaining Skygrasper but she was stopped by Duo. "Hey, get out of my way!" she yelled trying to get past him. "If you're going to go out there, then you're going to die. Don't throw away your life so easily" he said. He turned around and got into the Skygrasper. "Hey wait, you're not allowed to pilot that!" Murdock yelled.<p>

Duo shot him a smile and gave him thumbs up. "Don't worry, unlike the young lady here, I've experience in real combat and judging from the hits we're taking, the more help you guys get the better." He said as he sets the controls. A screen appeared on the bridge. "Open the hangar." He requested. "It's you..." Miriallia said. "What? Can't you remember my name?" he said as he shook his head. "You're not supposed to be in that suit, get out of there and don't get in our way!" Badgiruel yelled.

Duo cringed at the sound of her voice. _"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed…"_ He thought. Murrue sighed as she looked at the situation. "We've no choice; we're sitting ducks." She gave the order for the hangar to open as Duo launches out in the Skygrasper. Duo quickly adapted to the force put on his body during the acceleration. He moved the fighter around and complained. "This thing feels weird. I wished I had my Gundam…!" he cried out annoyed at the controls of the unfamiliar aircraft. He finished his complaining and focused on the mission. Adapting to what's given to him was something he always had to do as a gundam pilot.

Duo joined Mu and the two shot at the Petrie. Mu was surprised that Duo piloted the machine so smoothly, not to mention that it was his first time. "Wow you're good!" Duo smiled at the compliment. "Thanks, it comes with the experience!" He yelled.

* * *

><p>Kira continued battling Andrew. The Lagowe jumped over the Strike and turned around firing its cannon. The Strike raised its shield and blocked the blasts. Kira grunted, knowing that the Strike's batter wouldn't last much longer. The Lagowe continued to fire at the suit, trying to wait it out until the Strike lost all of its power. "Oh yea, it looks like someone's about to lose power!" Andrew yelled.<p>

* * *

><p>Heero noticed the second Skygrasper unit launched. He had been dodging the Buster's constant fire. The Duel still struggled to stand after all this time. Dearka grunted, wondering how long this suit could dodge him. "Yzak, hurry up and update your suit!" Dearka yelled. Heero grew tired of dodging, even though he could do so for hours on end. He glanced over toward the Henry Carter and the static Archangel. "Hmm."<p>

Heero pushed the controls forward as the Wing Zero flew down towards the Buster. Heero moved the suit back and forth as the Wing Zero closed in. Dearka yelled trying to defend himself as he kept firing his weapons. Heero stopped in front of the machine and prepared to slash the suit in half. Right when he was about to strike, a glimpse of his past flashed before his eyes. This brief moment allowed Dearka to move to the side, avoiding a deadly attack at the cost of one of Busters' limbs.

"_Why…? Why am I having these visions?"_ he thought. Heero regained his senses and turned around locking onto the Buster. The machine cannons fired rapidly at the damaged area. The Buster fell back as the damaged area blew up. The suit was pushed back as it lied on the sand, immobile. Dearka tried to move the controls but to no avail. The suit was going nowhere.

Yzak succeeded in altering his suit, as it stood upright. Heero looked at the Duel. He had already wasted enough time on the battle with these two. He needed to assist the ship. The Wing Zero flew towards the unsuspecting suit. Heero rammed the thrusters to the max. He knew the force on his body would be a great danger since he didn't wear a pilot suit, but he didn't want to waste any more time. Wing Zero slashed at the Duel. Yzak felt his suit shake violently as the suit fell down. He closed his eyes during the fall and didn't see what happened. When he opened his eyes, his suit's left arm and most of its torso was cut off. Scraps of melted metal and electrical wiring still apparent in the gaping opening left by Wing Zero's attack.

"Wha-what just happened?" he questioned confusingly. He felt a liquid dripping from his left arm. He looked down to see that his arm was cut from the shoulder, down. It was hanging by a muscle strand. He yelled and cried out in pain. His confusion and adrenaline rush had masked this enormous pain, but now that his mind realized that he was seriously injured, all of pain set in at once. He pain was unbearable. It was as if his left arm was being trampled by hundreds of bulls.

He cried out, screaming his lungs out in pain.

* * *

><p>Wing Zero flew passed everyone as they looked at him. "Where's he going?" Badgiruel questioned. There was an obvious tone in her voice that showed her extreme dislike for Heero. Heero stopped in front of the Archangel and fired its cannons at the object that hindered the ship's movement. Wing Zero proceeded toward the Henry Carter which was damaged by Duo and Mu.<p>

Duo noticed Wing Zero hovering in the air. He instinctively knew what Heero planned to do. "Get out of his way!" Duo yelled out, trying to warn Mu. Mu questioned him. "What?" He glanced over to see the Wing Zero grabbing hold of the Twin Buster Rifle in both hands. His eyes trailed the line of fire. His eyes widened, nearly popping out of his head when he saw where Heero aimed. "What's that kid thinking?" He questioned.

Heero watched as the energy level charged. He knew one blast at less than forty percent would suffice. He used Zero's search eye to find the ships weak point. Seeing the point, Heero took aim. The energy built up at the end of the barrel. A small glow shined as it got brighter and brighter. With a push of the trigger Heero unleashed the devastating blast. Mu saw the radius of the blast and moved away quickly. Duo watched from above. He was familiar with the beam; he had seen the destruction that it could bring.

Everyone on the Henry Carter tried to abandon ship but it was too late. The yellow beam destroyed the bridge and set off a chain of explosions destroying the entirety of the ship. Explosion upon explosion built up as the ship was surrounded in a cloud of its own deadly smoke. The ship came to a halting stop before falling to the sand. One final explosion sent the Henry Carter to its grave. The flaming smoke rose into the sky. Mu looked at the Wing Zero seeing the smoke behind the suit. This gave him a terrifying feeling. His gut told him that Wing Zero was trouble. "Oh man…"

* * *

><p>Everyone in the battle paused and watched as one suit took down a large carrier ship. Everyone was silent. There were no words to describe what they saw. Powerful? Immense? These words weren't appropriate for what they saw. The beam alone seemed mind boggling.<p>

Murrue was in disbelief. She had never seen such a weapon given to a mobile suit before. _"That was nearly as powerful as our Lohengrin…"_ she thought. She was mesmerized by the suit's display of sheer power.

"Captain!" Badgiruel shouted.

Murrue snapped back into reality and looked around. She saw that almost everyone had paused. She took advantage of the situation and fired their Gottfrieds. The Lesseps was severely damaged as it lowered onto the sand.

* * *

><p>"That damned Legged ship, its nearly indestructible." Andrew said angrily.<p>

"This isn't good Andy…" Aisha said worriedly.

The Lagowe and Strike were the few remaining suits that were still battling. The two traded fire once more. The Strike held the rifle with both hands as Kira hoped to get a more direct shot. The Strike jumped up and fired a shot at the Lagowe. The Lagowe was hit and its right front leg was destroyed in the process.

"Watch out!" Aisha warned.

"I know…!"

The Lagowe returned fire, sending off multiple shots. One of the shots hits the rifle, forcing the Strike to drop its main long ranged weapon. The Lagowe dashed at the Strike. Kira countered with the Strike's saber. The two suits slashed at one another cutting off one of their respective stabilizer wings.

The two suits stared at each other, their sabers ignited. Andrew took this brief moment to contact Decosta. "Decosta?"

"Yes sir?"

"Take all the remaining forces and retreat. Head to Banadiya and tell Gibraltar." He ordered. Decosta complied with the order and disconnected the communication line. Andrew looked down at Aisha. "You go to." He suggested, there was a tone in his voice that seemed different when he spoke to her about leaving.

She smiled at him. "I'd rather go down fighting." She said. She deeply loved him, and would rather die by his side rather than live without him. Andrew looked at her seriously as Heero's words sunk into his mind and heart. "I can't allow that Aisha." He said. He pushed some of the controls as the Lagowe's cockpit opened. "Go" he said in a demanding voice.

"But, Andy!"

"I'd rather see you live than risk your life. Go!" he ordered. Aisha saw the look on his face and knew there was no way of winning this argument. She lowered herself down. Kira watched confused by this event, wondering what was going on. "Are they finally surrendering?" he questioned. He glanced at the pilot on the sand near the Lagowe's foot. Aisha heard Andrew requesting someone to pick her up. Once the zip line returned the cockpit closed.

Kira looked as the Lagowe dashed at him. The Strike took a defensive position. "Please stop! Don't do this! You've already lost." He reasoned. Andrew gritted his teeth and yelled back. "I'm not done with you yet"

The Lagowe and strike exchanged blows as Kira managed to further damage the suit. The front cockpit began to smoke and explode. Andrew felt thankful that he ordered his loved one to leave. "Like I said, there are no clear rules on how war is won."

"Don't do it, Waltfeld!" Kira glance at the battery level as it reached red. The beam saber dispersed and the Phase Shift deactivated automatically. The Lagowe's cockpit sparked, indicating it was going to explode. Andrew knew he would have only one shot left at taking the kid down. "I won't quit. This is the only way! I won't stop until one of us is dead!" he yelled out. The Lagowe dashed ahead giving one final strike.

Angered over the situation and in desperate need of power, Kira's eyes dilated. He jettisoned the Aile Pack and dropped the shield. The Strike grabbed one of the Armor Schneider knives. The Lagowe tackled the Strike, hitting its torso. Kira acted instinctively for survival and stabbed the core that sparked. The Strike was knocked back onto the sand. Kira watched as the Lagowe sparked wildly. Andrew knew this was the end. He looked up, not even attempting to escape the inevitable explosion. "Good bye…Aisha…"

The suit and cockpit exploded leaving only a cloud of smoke and destroyed parts. Kira cried. He cried out for his enemy. "I…I…it didn't have to end like this!" he cried out. Aisha watched from one of the carriers as she cried. "Andy…Andy!" She broke down into tears, covering her face.

* * *

><p>In the same dark room, in the same unknown location, the two watched the events that occurred. The figure turned, facing the other male. "So what do you think, is he still weak for our cause…?" he questioned.<p>

The male grunted looking at the figure angrily. "You're sick you know that! You watch this and you won't even stop it? You have the power to! When are you going to stop playing your games and tell them about what's happening?" The figure shrugged his shoulders indifferently. "What use would they be if they didn't learn by themselves? If I went there and told them everything it'd be worse than you're imagining." He said.

He stood up and headed out. The male turned around, looking at him. "Where are you going?" The figure stopped and looked at the male, smiling. "I got a couple deliveries to make. Keep on watching," The door shut behind him, leaving the male alone. The male looked at Kira, seeing the tears falling from his eyes. "He's still too young…how can you expect him to understand the concept of war?" he questioned. The male sighed. He felt as if he knew the question himself. "Hmph…similarities are just that, and nothing more."

**Please read and review, I understand I had a very immature attitude toward the story and readers before, but as you can see compared to the first, it's a great improvement. I enjoy reading reviews and I admit I enjoy the number of reviews. I ask that if you subscribe, alert, favorite or anything like that please review. I am now just seeking feedback more than blindly asking for reviews like I did in the past. As always, thanks for reading and pleas review.**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Wing.

**Author's note**: RoyalTwinFangs: Yes Wing/AC suits will get an upgrade.

Chapter 7: Death in the Seas.

On a remote island, the sun shined brightly as the waves crashed on shore. The ocean breeze blew with the sound of frequent gentle flaps. The island seemed like one of many that would become a vacation spot; crisp clear waters, a clean area of sand, and breezes that were perfect. On the wet sand lied a body. The body laid on its side, the person's arm stretched out lying there unconscious. Upon closer inspection this person was an old man. His body was soaked and unresponsive. It seemed that the man had been washed ashore. Half of his hair was dried from the wet sea water as speckles of dirt and other debris from the ocean rested in the tangles of his white hair. The coming water kept the man soaked gently with the light occasional white waters. The water retreated back from the shore and came back roaring.

The waters soaked the old man's body. His nose took in water causing him to choke and wake up, coughing. After releasing all of the unnecessary liquids from his the old man looked around, confused as to where he was. "Where in the world did I land..?" he questioned. He looked around to see the bright sun shining down on his face. It didn't help that he just got washed with a heavy load of saltwater. The salt in his eyes caused his eyes to water and it was further irritated by the blinding sun. The old man closed his eyes for a moment and moved out of the water's path. He found shade underneath a palm tree and took refuge.

He lied down under the shade of the leaves. He sighed wondering about what he would do next. He thought of how long he was unconscious, how long he was in this area, and what or where this place actually was. _"Did I make it to the other side?"_ he thought for a moment, wondering if he had died and this was heaven. The old men remembered the events that led to him being in this location. His eyes widened as he smiled.

Walking towards the palm tree was the mysterious person. He wore the dark cloak despite the weather and the blistering heat. Even though he seemed a good few meters away; he looked straight at the old man. He could see the old man clearly as if he stood right in front of him. The sound of his heavy boots tracked on the sand as he approached the old man. "Geezer…" he called out.

The old man paid little attention to his surroundings and didn't notice someone was approaching him. When he heard someone's voice he jumped out and looked up at this cloaked figure. "W-who are you?" he asked. He stood up and backed away in fear. The person stood in front of the old man, the only part of his face that was visible was the lower half, beneath his nose. The rest of his body was hidden by the cloak's hood. "Cool your jets old man. I'm here to get you to where you want to go…."

The old man looked at this person curiously. His interest peaked when he heard him talking. _"Does this mean that I'm in the other dimension?"_ he thought. The person sighed heavily seeming annoyed by the old man's actions. "Are we going do this the hard way, or the easy way?" he questioned. The old man shot him a confused look. That was a bad move. The person stepped forward and launched a fist toward the old man's face. The punch didn't connect. The old man stared at the fist in front of him. _"He moved so quickly! I didn't even see the arm's movement!"_

Suddenly a powerful force was released onto the old man's face, crushing his nose. The old man was knocked back into the trunk of the palm tree. This combined with the painful attack knocked him out.

The person picked up the older man and threw him over his right shoulder, carrying him as he walked along the beach. With the sun shining heavily on his body the man stopped, looking up and snapped his fingers. What appeared to be a continuing trail on the beach turned into a small aircraft. The ship seemed small like a fighter plane. It didn't seem to have any weapons though. The ship was mostly grey. The front seemed small, standard for a fighter plane. The rear of the ship was a whole other story. The back was large, equipped with a large thruster pack and fuel tank. Wherever this ship was going, it would make it there alright. He got near the aircraft and pushed a button. The aircraft opened up. The top hatch flipped up revealing a one seat cockpit. He placed the old man in the cockpit. He adjusts the coordinates into the computer. The old man woke up and looked at this mysterious person.

He moved his body, realizing that he was trapped. "What have you done to me? Let me out of here!" he demanded. The person stopped and simply said "Shut up, I'm sending you to the Zaft mobile suit development base up in the PLANTs. That is what you desired..." The person's voice seemed unusual cold, yet there was a hit of something beneath that coldness that gave him a mysterious demeanor. It was colder than Heero's voice, even though there was a small tone of emotion. There was much more to this person. The old man couldn't help but have some kind of curiosity building inside him that needed to be satisfied as he looked at this person. The old man paused, thinking to himself for a moment. The person's words finally sunk into his mind.

"_Zaft? PLANTs?" _He assumed that those were some kind of military or organization of some sort from this dimension. He was left with a pondering look on his face when the hatch closed. The ship headed off. The engines ignited and pushed the ship forward. It ascended into the sky and kept rising and rising. The ship became nothing but a sparkle in the sky.

The person looked up and smiled slightly; satisfied that one part of his plan went off with few issues. He sighed and snapped his fingers once again. Another area that seemed like some part of the island turned into another craft; a large ship with a carrier. The carrier was gray with some faded dark blue at the front. The ship itself was dark and sported dark colors that blended with its black hue, making it seem like the ship was completely black when in fact it had some coloration on the armor. The Ship and Carrier was many times larger than the ship used previously, even with its added booster pack. The person stepped into the carrier after opening the door. He entered the containment area and looked down at the mobile suit stored inside. There was only one. The dark room hid the suit's appearance. The person stood there looking at the suit, remembering what measures he took to get the unit here.

*flashback*

After leaving the location, the person went toward the hangar. There was a container next to two mobile suits. One mobile suit seemed damaged and was going under repairs. The suit's appearance, from what could be seen was overall white. The torso was black and the left shoulder had a burned red insignia. Farther down the hall the black Wing Zero stood. Its red eyes glowed as the person neared it.

"I know you're not going yet…" he spoke aloud. It seemed he conversed with the mobile suit itself. He stood in front of the container which was mounted in a space in between the black Wing Zero and the damaged mobile suit. The person stepped toward a computer and typed away. The mechanicals moved with each keystroke. The whole building was under his control. The mechanical arm picked the container up and sets it behind a large ship that had a large area fit for the containers size. The container was placed into the area and locked into place.

The ships rear had two cone shaped drives. The drives spun as red particles were expelled. The person looked at the black Wing Zero smiling. "Give me a hand?" he asked. The suit's eyes glowed and the red chest sensor glowed. The screen on the chest sensor slid down as the interior design and mechanisms could be seen. The sensor itself was surrounded by a unique container as dust particles were released. Massive amounts of particles came out of the chest area of the suit. A cloud formed in front of the machine.

The person watched as the dust particle surrounded the container and encased it. The particles joined together and began morphing. The container became flexible. It moved and jerked around. The color changed and the form of the container was completely altered. The person stood and watched noticing the change. He typed on the computer next to a large machine that seemed similar to the old man's dimensional device.

The device he had turned on a portal showing the image of an island appeared. The ship proceeded as it began moving. The drives spun quickly and released more particles. The ship glowed a reddish pink. The ship shot through the screen and disappeared.

*end flashback*

He scoffed slightly looking at the machine. "Time to deliver one more thing…"

* * *

><p>At the desert Dawn's base the forces drank merrily and celebrated. Earth alliance soldiers and rebels joined hand in hand in a drunken mess of happiness over their well-earned victory.<p>

Inside the cave Sahib celebrated with the Captain and Lieutenants. He raised his cup into the air and shouted happily. "To a new Desert Dawn"

Murrue raised her cup meeting his. "To a victorious future!" she celebrated.

"Yea, I'll drink to that." Mu said. The four raised their cups high and drank. Badgiruel couldn't hold down the heavy drink and coughed. Mu placed his cup down and looked at Sahib. "Things aren't going to be easy for you guys around here. The Tiger may be gone, but you still have to deal with Zaft…" he said worriedly. "I don't think they'll stop until they take back those mines. They'll regroup and come back"

"And when they do, we'll be ready to fight them. We will fight until our last man." He said holding up a gun. A young boy came into the cave and spoke to Sahib. "Father! The Chief wants us to honor our fallen warriors."

* * *

><p>Everyone lined up as the sound of gun fire was present, they prayed for their fallen and for each name uttered a shot was fired from the gun. The crew of the Archangel stood behind, letting the rebels have their moment to respect their fallen. Mu remembered what Sahib said. "Fight until our last man…"<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning the Archangel set out to the Red Sea. They packed the ship with the items and equipment they purchased from Al Jiri. Cagalli approached Murrue, requesting that she be allowed to join them. "But you have to let me join!" she argued. "You guys don't know what's going on down here." She said.<p>

"And I'm better at solving any supply problems than any of your crew!" she added. Murrue looked at the girl calmly seeing how determined she was to join the crew. She thought about having her on the crew but there would be stipulations. "However…" she said sadly. "Of course, I can't say I'd come with you to Alaska. And there's no way I'd sign up for the Earth Forces, but you need my help." Cagalli interrupted.

Mu sat on one of the crates, his arm rested on his knee. "What do you mean your help?" Mu asked.

"I can…um…ah…I can help in lots of ways!" Cagalli replied. Kisaka scoffed hearing her try to smooth talk her way into the Archangel. Murrue tried to put it in a way for the girl to understand more easily. "It's not that simple…" she paused trying to come up with another way to phrase the complicated measures it would mean for the ship if they took in more unregistered members.

"You're going to help us like a Goddess?" Mu questioned wondering if she wanted to come on board to share her good luck name. "Whatever the case I will get on that ship, I've already decided." Cagalli said. Cagalli and Sahib walked away, leaving the Captain and Lieutenants baffled at the situation. They had no choice but to allow her and her bodyguard, Kisaka onboard the ship.

* * *

><p>The Archangel made its way out of the desert as they came in view of the ocean. "Captain we're approaching the Red Sea." Arthur said. Everyone was surprised to see how the Earth's waters looked like. Clear blue waters, birds and wildlife all around them. It was a sight to behold. They had been in the desert for too long. "I'm allowing off duty members to take turns above deck." Murrue said. "Please relay that message." she adds. Everyone smiled as it was time to relax and not have to worry about being in combat. It was truly a moment to savor.<p>

Badgiruel contacted Murdock. "Bridge to Chief Murdock, are the preparations on schedule?"

"Yea, we're doing it right now. The kid's making the final adjustments right now." Murdock replied. "It shouldn't be much longer."

"Hurry it up. And Chief, I'd be careful about calling a superior officer kid if I were you." Badgiruel warned. "That kind of mistake could wind up in your official record, be careful" Everyone around them gave a small chuckle as they continued on with their work. Murdock walked over toward Kira and got down to his level. "She said to hurry…" he said.

Kira stopped typing and glanced over toward him. "This isn't going to be easy you know, that thing is made by Zaft there is going to be compatibility issues." Kira said as he continued working.

* * *

><p>On the remote island, the person pulled out a laptop and began typing away at the keys. He sat at the front of the ship that transported the Carrier. "I'll just let them pick it up, no point in them seeing the ship, let alone the drives…" he said. He sent a message to the Archangel, disguising it as a message from Headquarters. He smiled once he saw the screen displaying the words 'SENT'. "Now to lose some dead weight."<p>

He pulled a lever on the control panel. The bottom of the ship moved up and literally flipped the Carrier over. A loud thump was heard as a small cloud of sand built up from the impact, surrounding the Carrier. He grabbed the controls and headed off. The ship ascended and left the island, leaving the Carrier and mobile suit abandoned.

* * *

><p>Up on the top deck the soldiers and crew members shouted in joy, enjoying the fresh ocean breeze. Miriallia stopped by the railing and looked out to the ocean. She had her uniform unbuttoned, letting the breeze flow right through her. "Wow, this feels wonderful!" she shouted. Tolle and Kuzzey stood by her as the three friends looked out to the ocean. Tolle took off his uniform top while Kuzzey opted to remain in uniform, finding the sea to be a highly unusual place.<p>

Kuzzey looked out and saw how the clouds and oceans were, but he felt seasick. "Sure is beautiful, but I'm feeling dizzy." He said. Tolle looked over toward him and smiled. "Oh yea, that's right, this is your first time on the ocean." Kuzzey nodded. "Weren't you born on Heliopolis?" Tolle asked.

"Yea and I thought the desert was scary. This place really freaks me out. It gets really deep in some parts, doesn't it?"

"Yep"

Miriallia saw an opportunity to prey on her friends fears. "Yea and there's monsters too" she teased.

* * *

><p>Back in the Bridge, Murrue and Kisaka discussed which route they should take toward Alaska. The main screen on the bridge displayed a map of possible routes and areas that were heavily under Zaft's control. "The Earth Forces have left you in a difficult position." Kisaka said. "Telling you to get to Alaska, and not even giving you supplies, although, I'm sure you have enough food and water. But it would be wise to avoid the enemy if it is at all possible." He advised.<p>

Murrue sighed, not knowing what she should do. "But sailing out into the Indian Ocean is an extremely risky plan." Badgiruel said. She walked up to the two wanting to see if her words would have any say in which path the Archangel took. "If something were to happen out there, there would be no place for us to escape."

"But Zaft doesn't usually seize territory without a strategic reason. They'll have the least presence out in the middle of the ocean. The rest depends on luck." Kisaka left leaving his words to be the motivator behind Murrue's decision. Badgiruel and Murrue spoke about the matter at hand and which route would be best, even though they were going straight through Zaft territories. One of the soldiers operating the communications looked up at the Captain.

"Captain, we have a message from HQ." the soldier said. Murrue was surprised to hear this. She was just talking with Kisaka about how they didn't have any messages from HQ besides going to Alaska. "Bring it up on screen." The soldier complied and sets the message on the main screen, replacing the map.

* * *

><p>Kira opened the door to the upper deck. He stepped out, hoping that by coming out at this time, he would be alone. He looked around and noticed Heero and Duo. He didn't want to talk with them or anyone. He was still conflicted by what he should do and the fact that he took the life of someone he knew outside of combat. He could still remember the words Andrew spoke about when they were at his base. He let out a heavy sigh as he put his head down on his knees quietly crying to himself remembering all the lives he could not protect.<p>

Heero leaned on the rails and just used this time to rest up and think up of what to do next. He ignored Duo and Kira. Duo looked at how serious Heero was, the look he had when he was in a deep thought. Duo tried to make conversation, hoping to lighten the situation up a bit. "Hey don't worry about it Heero we'll get back home." he said as he took advantage of the break and looked out into the oceans seeing the dolphins occasional appearance.

The door opened and Cagalli came out and looked at Kira "Hey Kira. I see you've come out for fresh air to." she commented. Kira looked up at her and stood up. He sighed heavily. Cagalli walked up next to him. She looked at him concerned as she asked "Kira, have you been crying?" Kira tries to leave and ignores her question but she grabbed his hand, "Wait," she said. He gives her a saddened look. She let go his hand go. Kira started walking away when she came towards him and hugs him patting his back, "It's all right..." she said. The two begin talking about the war and how coordinators and naturals were like.

"It's just strange. You're a coordinator yet you fight with the Naturals. You fight against them." Kira looked back at her and gave her a light smile. He didn't like the subject. He just didn't feel that anyone would understand that he didn't see the war as just black and white. "Yea...I get that a lot…" he admitted. Kira remembered Athrun and Andrew asking him why he fought with the Naturals or why he sided with them. Kira sat next to her thinking about why Coordinators and Natural's were at war.

"Whether or not people think that you're strange isn't the point. We're at war because Coordinators and Natural's are so dead set on exterminating each other. I mean…don't you have strong feelings about that?"

Kira gave the question a thought. He didn't really have much of an opinion on the subject. He looked at her. "What about you?"

"My feelings have nothing to do with them being a Coordinator or Natural."

"Same here," Kira said, feeling glad that someone felt the same way he did.

"But I also think that when somebody attacks you in a war, you have no choice but to fight back"

"I know…" he smiled at her chuckling. "You know there's no difference between coordinators and everyone else."

"But you guys can do so much more stuff than we can. You're talented in all these different ways, from birth."

"Only if we sharpen our skills by practicing, studying, and training properly. Like Naturals, we're not gifted just because we're Coordinators."

"Hmm, I guess you really are the same."

"It is true that, we don't catch deadly diseases, and that we had our genes altered before we were born to enhance our physical and mental abilities. But I thought everyone aspired to that, even Naturals."

Heero and Duo watched the two talking for a moment. The speakers on the intercom came on as Murrue's voice called out. "We will be making a stop to pick up some supplies within the hour. All crewmen who are on break; you have ten minutes left" Heero and Duo left, feeling no real need to stay out any longer if they were going back to normal conditions. Upon leaving they encountered Flay, who had been spying on Cagalli and Kira. Heero headed off to the hangar, ignoring the girl. Duo looked back at her as he noticed Flay presenting herself more loosely as she took off her uniform top and tied her undershirt it a small knot so her stomach was shown. She made a tear on her shirt near her chests to show them off. She tried to look sexy. She even went to such lengths as removing her bra. She felt threatened and jealous of Cagalli. She had to do something to get Kira in her palms again. Duo sighed and shook his head. He couldn't come up with the right words for what the girl was doing. It wasn't sexy…it was…pathetic. He ignored her and continued on.

Flay stepped out onto the top deck and approached the two. She stepped in front of Kira and spoke. "Kira, there you are!" she said happily.

"So hot out here," She said moving her hair aside. She bends over to give kira a look of her breasts through her torn shirt. Kira tried to avert his eyes but the breasts were right in front of his face! "I was looking for you…" She grabbed Kira's arm and smiled. Cagalli blushed looking away. She didn't need to see another girl's breasts at a time like this.

"You should have told me you had gone up here. Let's go for a walk!" She pulled him up, leading him away from Cagalli. Cagalli sighed, relieved that the girl went away. Seeing how she acted with Kira, Cagalli stood up and left. "I don't want to get in your way…" she commented before leaving the two alone.

* * *

><p>Following the commands of the message from HQ, the Archangel's destination makes a slight detour to get some more supplies at this island. Murrue sat in her captain's seat wondering why the higher brass would want them to go look at this island which was clearly free from anyone's use, Zaft or Alliance. <em>"Something's up. But considering the situation, I'll have to give it a shot."<em> The island came to view as everyone looked at it with hopeful eyes that they'd be on some kind of vacation. Even the adults who knew about the mission had a hopeful dream of relaxing on the beach.

The teens looked on and conversed with one another about having a fun time at the beach. Badgiruel looked at them and spoke. "This isn't at vacation; we're here to pick up some supplies." Their hopes died slightly at the word of more work. Badgiruel wasn't truly a hateful person; she couldn't stomach certain things just like any other human being. She sighed and tried to say something to cheer them up. "We might have some time to relax, if there's no trouble."

Their smiles brightened once more.

Murrue looked at the island cautiously. "Can we get any Alliance communication signals?" she asked. A soldier checked the communications wave and shook his head, no ma'am. I'm getting nothing."

"I'm getting a huge object on the shore. It might be the supplies!" another overlooking the radar informed. Murrue nodded believing that what the message said was true. The Archangel stops near the island. The launcher opened as the Skygrasper headed out to survey the area.

* * *

><p>Inside the Hangar, Heero sat in Wing Zero's cockpit going over the battle plans and maneuvers he witness in the previous battle. He made sure that Wing Zero's computer and black box were up to date so the system would not experience a crash. Heero went on and checked everything in the vicinity. He found it odd that the supplies would be in such a deserted location. "Hmm…"<p>

Duo stood by Wing Zero's foot bored out of his mind. "I should have gone with them, at least I'd be some help." He complained. He looked up hearing the cockpit open. Duo watched as Heero came down. "Something's off about all this."

"What do you mean?"

"The location and message. It seems too convenient that things are so isolated."

"Yea, now that you think about it, you're right. Think it's a trap?"

"Most likely," Heero crossed his arms and leaned on Wing Zero, thinking about what was here or what kind of ambush they'd experience.

* * *

><p>On the Vosgulov class submarine <em>Cousteau<em>, Le Creuset's voice could be heard. "I was quite shocked to hear about Commander Waltfeld's death. I feel partly responsible, as I should have never let the Legged ship land on Earth. His death is a tremendous loss." A light brown haired soldier wearing an olive green uniform poured a cup of coffee as he listened to Le Creuset's message. "Hmph…" He found Creuset's tone about Andrew's death mediocre. "_That bastard doesn't care! Look at him acting all calm…" _ He took a seat on the bed and continued listening to the message.

"In short time, I shall arrive on Earth for Operation Spitbreak. This Legged ship and its crew are formidable adversaries. The Delta One unit accompanying them makes this task much more difficult. I trust that I can rely on your assistance when the time comes Commander Morassim." Morassim hit the panel on the screen causing the pre-recorded message to end. "That punk Le Creuset! That man's got some serious nerve sending me such a condescending message like that." He glanced over at the map mounted on the wall. "But it really doesn't matter…I'll go along with his plans, but I'll be the one who fails this so called, Legged ship."

* * *

><p>The Skygrasper hovered around the island. Mu looked down noticing a large container. Mu smiled and whistled at the size of this "supply" He grabbed the communication device and contacted the ship. "I've found the supply. I'm thinking that this thing isn't really one of ours."<p>

"What do you mean?" Murrue questioned.

"It has a weird serial number on the side. I'll you an image of it as soon as…" His voice was fuzzed out when the ship experienced interference. "Captain! There's something on the radar." Kuzzey warned.

"You sure it's not just another civilian aircraft?" one of the soldiers questioned.

"No it's moving in fast."

"Too much interference to be sure, but they're too fast to be civilian vessels."

Murrue faced forward, here fear came true. "All hands level two battle stations, ID those radar blimps. Get everyone back on the ship."

"Is this a Zaft ambush?" Badgiruel questioned.

"All hands to level two battle stations!"

Everyone rushed to their battle stations. Kira groaned, sighing heavily when he heard the battle alarm going off. He got dressed and headed toward the Strike. Heero got back inside Zero and looked at the forces they were engaging.

"Six flight models and a…" Heero noticed a submarine class ship. "Hmm…" Heero thought about how Zero would perform underwater. In one hand he could greatly assist in the battle since the beams used by the gundams didn't lose their cohesion underwater. But doing so would further reveal his suits capabilities. Coming to terms that his suit would be the target of both military powers at one point he proceeded with helping the ship. He contacted the bridge and informed the captain that he would participate in the battle.

Duo followed suit and agreed to help as well. He went toward the remaining Skygrasper unit and prepared to launch. He sighed lightly and frowned at the controls. "What I'd give to be in Deathscythe's cockpit right about now…"

* * *

><p>Heading toward the Archangel were six Dinns. The units were Zafts flight models. The purple suits still had similarities of the Ginn, but contained flight units for atmospheric use. One of the units was piloted by Commander Morassim. "I have located the ship, send out the Goohn team." Morassim looked at the ship and found it odd that they'd be around this area so close to the remote island. <em>"What's your angle? What are you doing here?"<em>

The commanding officer on the _Cousteau _relayed the orders as the Goohns launched. The aquatic mobile suits had a tan top and had a head shaped like a torpedo. The Goohns moved swiftly in the water, thrusting their way toward the Archangel.

* * *

><p>Inside the Archangel Sai checked on the incoming mobile suits to see if it matched the ships library of current Zaft suits.<p>

"We have a library match. Incoming Zaft atmospheric flight mobile suits. Captain, they're Dinns!"

Murrue had a determined look in her eyes. "All hands to level one battle stations, Skygrasper Two, Wing Zero and Strike prepare to launch!"

"But captain!" Badgiruel yelled.

"I know, the Strike cannot fly and it cannot swim. Wing Zero will assist in the atmosphere! We'll deal with the other matter at hand; we can't just sit around doing nothing!"

"I-I don't believe it…Six Dinns!"

"What?" Badgiruel shot the soldier a look of confusion. Did she hear him right? Six? It was hard to handle a couple, but six?

Murrue heard the soldier's report. She sighed heavily. _"What can we do…? We'll be relying on Wing Zero, but I have a feeling there's more to this then just the atmospheric battle…" _

"Missile launchers, seven to ten ready to fire on my command!" Badgiruel ordered. The hatch to the missiles opened. The missiles protruded out slightly readying to fire. "Fire!" The missiles launched toward the six Dinns.

"Activate Eagle Stallions!"

The missiles headed toward the Dinns, but using its high mobility in the atmosphere, all of the units easily dodged the shots. Morassim grunted and narrowed his eyes at the Archangel. "I'll sink that Legged ship!" he yelled.

The machine cannons on the ships fired at Morassim and the others, but the Coordinators dodged the shots maneuvering the units out of the shots range.

* * *

><p>Mu watched as the Archangel was attacked. He groaned and rushed back toward the Archangel, leaving the container abandoned. The Skygrasper launched up into the battle and fired back at the Dinns, interrupting their attack. A couple of the Dinns stopped and aimed their rifles at the Skygrasper and returned fire. One of the soldiers spotted the container on the island and contacted Morassim to inform him of the container.<p>

"Commander!"

"What is it?"

"I've spotted some kind of container; it's huge, too huge to be some kind of normal supply container."

Morassim smiled. "So they were picking something up and we interrupted them. Go destroy that container and whatever's inside!" He ordered. The soldier motioned his suit as it moved slightly and headed off toward the island.

* * *

><p>The Skygrasper rolled into the launch bay. The unit was equipped with the launcher Aile Striker pack. Its beam rifle and flight unit mounted on the fighter plane to add mobility and firepower. The door closed behind the unit as Miriallia spoke over the intercom. "Skygrasper two, prepare for takeoff."<p>

"Duo Maxwell, go ahead, the course is clear."

"Roger that, and thanks for remembering my name this time, Miriallia!" Duo smiled and narrowed his eyes as the Skygrasper launched into the battle. The five Dinns opened fire on Duo but he maneuvered the Skygrasper out of the way, dodging the blasts.

* * *

><p>Wing Zero stepped out to the edge of the launcher and jumped off. Its wing binders opened up, thrusting it up into the sky as Heero entered the fray. Morassim looked at Delta One with a curious stare. "So that's the Delta One? I'll sink it down along with the ship! Huh?"<p>

Morassim looked over to Mu's Skygrasper firing rounds at his suit. Morassim dodged the shots and returned fire. Mu glanced down seeing the suits mobility. "These machines must be from Carpentaria!"

Back in the Archangel the sonars detected something. "We've got something on sonar!"

"What are they?" Badgiruel asked.

"From the speed and engine sounds…they're mobile suits!"

"Underwater? Submarine mobile suits…"

Down below, the Goohns raised their arms and fired off torpedoes at the ship.

"I have four new contacts, these are Torpedoes Captain!"

"Evade them!"

"We have no time" Arthur said

"Take us up, full thrusters!"

Arthur pulled on the helm of the ship trying to raise it up higher to avoid the torpedoes. The Archangel rose, narrowly dodging the blasts. The Zaft pilot stopped seeing the ship rise. "So they've gone up…in that case!" The Goohns surfaced to fire their missiles and then dove back down like sharks. The Strike remained on the ship and fired its rifles at the rising Goohns, but they were too quick in the water to get a solid hit. Kira sighed seeing this was no help at all the rifle was just no use against them.

"No good…Chief Murdock!"

Murdock's face appeared on the right upper corner. "What is it?"

"Didn't we get a bazooka with the supplies from the eighth fleet?"

"Yea, we did. Why? What do you want?"

"Please get it for me, I'm going underwater"

"Diving, but Kira, you can't do that. The Strike will…"

"I know that but we have to try something. Everyone's doing their part in the air; I got to try to help somehow!"

Given the situation, Murdock knew that he would have to comply. They really needed the extra fire power to handle the underwater forces. "All right, fine." The Strike was equipped with its shield and the bazooka. A Goohn rose up and charged the energy cannons on its sides. Kira yelled and took aim at the suit, firing a round from the bazooka. The Goohn dove down and seemingly dodged the round. The round exploded, sending up a stream of water. The Strike dropped down into the water, following the enemy.

"Be careful when firing the Valiants, the Strikes in the water now." Badgiruel warned.

* * *

><p>In the sky, the battle raged on. Heero managed to destroy a nearly half of the units. Wing Zero's rifle was split in two. Heero used the two rifles to obliterate the units that were unfortunate enough to stay still for the deadly weapon. The sensors detected fire from the rear. Wing Zero flew up gaining altitude and flipped over, ending up behind the attacking unit. Heero aimed and fired with the machine cannons.<p>

Morassim maneuvered his units to dodge the shots. "Man, this pilot's a hell of a shot…I'm actually having to try my best just to dodge Vulcan rounds?" Morassim was confused. As far as he knew, there was no one in Zaft or the Earth Alliance that had this kind of long ranged skill. He moved around, trying to find a way to counterattack. Heero didn't allow the commander anytime whatsoever. Wing Zero held its rifles and fired, exchanging blasts simultaneously. When one rifle finished firing the other fired. The blasts weren't that powerful, but a dead on hit would damage the Dinn greatly. To decrease the Dinn's movement, Heero fired the machine cannons along with the rifles, creating more difficulty for the Commander.

Duo closed in on one of the Dinn's and fired at the suit using the beam rifle. He rejoined in his small victory. He glanced down at the island seeing one Dinn attacking the container. _"Why attack the container…what's inside?"_ Duo gave into his curiosity seeing that the battle was handled by Heero and Mu. The Skygrasper dove down. Duo fired at the Dinn. The pilot heard the heat sensors and moved out of the way. The beam from the cannon shook the area and moved the container slightly.

The Skygrasper hovered above the sand. Duo aimed at the suit and fired the Skygraspers machine canons. Duo closed in once more and got a dead on shot at the torso and cockpit. He flipped the fighter plane around and noticed some markings on the container. "Huh?" Duo thought he went blind. Even though he was upside down momentarily he noticed the Serial number on the container.

"It can't be…"

Duo flipped the plane around and headed toward the container. He landed the unit and got out. He rushed toward the container and brushed off the sand. His eyes widened as he noticed the serial number on the container. "No way…"

Duo got inside of the container, leaving the Skygrasper unit unattended.

* * *

><p>Underwater the Strike was a sitting duck. Kira tried to use the bazooka but underwater, the Goohns were just too fast. The cockpit rocked when his suit was rammed by one of the Goohns.<p>

"In a space model? Ha!"

"You'll never beat our Goohns underwater!"

Kira tried his best, firing the Bazooka when he saw the chance. The Goohns moved quickly and retaliated, firing their torpedoes. One of the Goohns rammed into the Strike from behind. Kira dropped the weapons and shield grabbing a hold of the suit's fin. The Armor Schneider knife ejected out. The Strike grabbed the Knife and stabbed it into the Goohn.

The other Goohn pilot rushed at him in anger. "Bastard!"

* * *

><p>Morassim continued to dodge the shots from Delta One. One of the few remaining Dinns tried to help the commander firing the multi-purpose launcher. A group of missiles hurled their way toward Delta One. Heero stopped the attack and moved out the way. Mu saw his chance. He fired at Morassim hoping to catch him off guard. The commander was too swift, dodging the shot. Morassim's unit fired at Mu's unit hitting the Skygrasper's wings. Grunting, Mu eyed on the island as his crash-landing point.<p>

He struggled to keep the plane straight. Skygrasper One crashed onto the sand. Mu breathed heavily trying to regain his composure after such a crash. He glanced over seeing the unattended unit two. "Where did Duo…"

Mu heard a loud hum. He turned his head toward the container and saw a beam shooting out. The beam curved and moved up, slicing the container. He covered his eyes from the explosion, turning his head away. Everyone paused and glanced over to the island. The smoke rose from the destroyed container. Heero zoomed in on the suit seeing a familiar unit.

The suit was black and white. The torso had a black armor that had orange yellow details. The suit had two vent or thruster objects on its back near the shoulder. The body was white and had protruding spikes on the knees and foot. The suit had a shield that seemed to resemble a serpents head in some ways. The front of the shield had a gap. In the suits right hand, a long weapon was held. The beam at the end curved in the shape of a scythe. The suit was a fearful sight to behold as the smoke rose behind it. Its eyes glowed a menacing green as its body blended in with the dark smoke.

Mu watched in awe noticing that the suit looked similar to Delta One. "Don't tell me there's another one…"

The suit moved and bent its knees. Everyone wonder what this new suit was or who piloted it. The suit's communication line connected to the Archangel. Everyone on the ship was surprised to see Duo. Murrue looked at him confusingly. "Duo? What are you doing in that mobile suit?"

"I'll explain later, right now we got to finish up the battle." The black mobile suits legs extended as the suit jumped up high into the sky. One of the Dinn pilots froze in fear at what they saw. "W-what is that?" He let out a scream seeing the black suit swinging its large beam scythe. The Dinn was sliced in two. The black suit continued and dove down. Heero sighed and gave a light smile, slightly relieved that Duo would take care of the underwater units. Now he could focus a hundred percent on the aerial battle without having to plan another strategy.

* * *

><p>Down below, Kira struggled with the remaining Goohns. "There's too many!" he cried out. The Strike moved its arms in front of this body in a defensive position. Kira had given up hope. "What are you doing kid? Sitting around for the enemy to kill you?"<p>

Kira recognized the voice and looked around. He watched as the remaining Goohns were sliced to ribbons. The suit hovered in front of him. Kira noticed the beam weapon in its right hand. "How…how is that possible…?" His eyes widened when the suit raised its left arm. The shield opened up as a beam ignited. The shield bursts out of the connector launching toward the Strike

Kira yelled, thinking that he was the target of the attack. He heard an explosion behind him and saw the Goohn sinking to the bottom of the ocean.

* * *

><p>Morassim saw the decimating their forces. Letting his guard down his suit was shot by Heero. The beam cut through both of the wings. The Dinn slowly descended as Heero aimed to take the final shot. Before he could fire a signal alerted him of incoming objects. Heero looked up and saw a wave of missiles from below shooting at him. "Reinforcements?" He questioned.<p>

"Commander!" the soldiers cried out.

Morassim cut his losses and retreated.

* * *

><p>The dark mobile suit grabbed the Strike and the two slowly surfaced. Kira looked toward the right top screen seeing Duo's face. "D-Duo…?"<p>

"You cut it close there kid." He said smiling at Kira.

Kira sighed and looked at the falling mobile suit parts. He saw Andrews face, thinking about how he killed another pilot. Just like each end to every battle, Kira felt an overwhelming sadness consume his body and mind. _"I hate this…but if I don't…we'll all be…"_

* * *

><p>Up in the Plants a green haired boy in a red Zaft Uniform saluted his parents. His father wore a purple uniform. His mother smiled. "Be careful Nicol…" she cautioned. His father looked to the side, as if he didn't want to see his son leave and enter the battlefield once more.<p>

"Thanks, I've got to go now." The boy said in a kind tone. He seemed to kind to be a red uniform. He picked up his suitcase and left. He floated down the hallway, headed to the ship.

"Nicol!"

Nicol turned around and smiled seeing his blue haired friend. "Oh hey Athrun. By the way I wanted to thank you for coming with me the other day"

"Boy that was a great concert."

"Come on, you were sleeping."

Athrun looked at Nicol surprised that he knew. He tried to make himself look like a good friend and lied again. "No, I was just resting my eyes."

Nicol smiled looking ahead. "The truth is, I'd like to do a proper concert."

"Not right now, but when operation Spitbreak comes to an end, there should be plenty of time to do that" Athrun smiled, he had a sympathetic look on his face. He understood Nicol's want for one normal moment for peace, but with the war going on, rare moments like these were to be treasured.

"I know, but at least, we had a nice extended break at home this time around." He smiled at Athrun, his face ever so innocent.

"I've never been to Earth before…"

"Yea, I know, it's my first time too"

The two friends proceeded to the ship and talked about how Earth would be like. This war had caused them to experience a great many things, and Earth would just be one other new experience to the two soldiers.

**Please read and review**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Sea of Vengeance

Disclaimer: I do not own gundam seed or gundam wing

**Author's note:** IasWraith: This is the redesigned Katoki version Deathscythe. Suits will get an upgrade later on.

* * *

><p>Earth. This blue planet which was humanities first home was an exceptional sight up in space. The glow that emanated from the planet seemed to shine upon the ships that hovered just above. The sound of engines bursts through. Many olive colored ships surrounded the blue ship as it entered Earth's orbit. On one of the Laurasia class ships the Gibraltar weather service gave its report as Zaft set their suits for atmospheric reentry. Inside the Hangar, the Aegis and Blitz were set for the reentry. Nicol looked up listening to the weather report.<em> "I wonder how it will be down there on Earth…."<em>

Athrun sat in the Aegis, he had serious look on his face. It was as if this reentry was the utmost important mission in his life. His body was tensed and there was no time to relax. So many things ran through his mind. _"I'll have to fight you again…won't I?"_ Just thinking about fighting his childhood friend made him sick, but this was not the time to choose sides. Kira was with the Earth forces, the Natural's forces. It was the Naturals that caused the death of his mother and so many others. He was devastated by the great lost. Angered and driven by a sense of justice, he joined Zaft's army. He made his choice. He just wished that his friend was by his side in arms instead of against him. _"Why can't you understand…?"_

With that last thought, the pods were dropped and began their descent.

Down below on Earth, the Earth Alliance Orbit Traffic Observation Center caught sight of their descent. They couldn't do a thing given the route Zaft took. All the officers could do was watch as the pods made their way to Gibraltar.

"They won't be satisfied until they take control of all our space ports, but we will not let them take Panama!" the commanding officer at the Observation Center stated.

* * *

><p>The Archangel continued on route on the Indian Ocean. The ship's large 'legs' pushed through the reflective waters with great ease.<p>

Inside, Murrue stepped out into the hallway and looked at Mu. "A submarine carrier?" she questioned. Murrue looked at Mu. Mu had a sandwich in hand and took a bite. "No matter how you slice it, those suits couldn't have come from Carpentaria. We're on the move ourselves, so if they came all the way out here to attack us, they couldn't make it back." Murrue sighed as she continued to listen. "If it were a surface ship or aircraft then they're no way we would have over looked it. But this thing's underwater, and we're just not used to that. Next time we'll beat them, otherwise they'll follow us the entire way." He commented as he finished off his sandwich.

Murrue moved her hair to the side and pushed it behind her ear. "I know you're right, however…" She was concerned about the sudden appearance of Duo's machine. It worried her. Was this scientist or being that Heero and Duo dealt with in their era? Would this being cause them trouble, or assist them? Mu saw how troubled Murrue seemed and smiled, slapping her back encouragingly. "Cheer up, we'll manage somehow. We always do." he said smiling. Murrue fell forward and nearly landed on the floor, stumbling slightly before regaining her balance. She looked back at him angrily. Mu had a smile as he spoke. "We should just keep trying to travel over shallow waters, and eventually, we'll make it to Alaska."

Murrue placed her hands on her side and looked up at him. "You have no basis for saying that!" Mu smiled and poked her nose. "Hey it's just a little pep talk you know." He walked away chuckling, leaving Murrue. She seemed confused at first but smiled and headed off.

* * *

><p>Inside the lavatory, Kira wets a cloth with cold water. He squeezed the excess off and headed back into the room. Inside Flay was lying in bed on her side, groaning and moaning. "Kira…I feel so sick…" she complained. Kira placed the wet, cool cloth on her forehead to cool her fever down. Flay smiled relieved to get such comfort from the heat she felt. "That feels so good…" Flay looked at Kira and thought about something for a moment. "You're no surprise Kira, but why aren't the others seasick?"<p>

Kira looked around and didn't feel the ship swaying heavily. "I don't think the ships swaying enough for this to be seasickness."

"It's swaying enough for me…" She turned and groaned once more curling her body into a fetal like position. Kira looked at her. He had other things to do and didn't have the leisurely time to look after her. "Do you want me to get Miriallia? She could look after you…" Flay puts her hand on top of Kira's. "No! That's okay Kira, as long as you're here with me." She looked into his eyes. "But I'd love some juice or something to drink" Kira's voice changed to a more contented tone, happy that he had some time away from Flay. "Okay. Just wait here for a moment." He got up and left the room. He stopped at the door when she called out. "And this towel's warm now…"

He sighed and looked at her for a moment, thinking why he showed her this kindness, taking care of her after all the things she did.

* * *

><p>In the Mess hall Sai and Kuzzey looked at the small map on the laptop. The Archangel's route was close to Orb. Kuzzey looked at the map with hopeful eyes, seeing their route taking them so close to Orb. Unlike the others, Kuzzey had not fully adjusted to being a soldier. He felt like the outlier of the group when it came to being a soldier. Seeing his friends slowly adapt while he was still hesitant made him feel isolated in some ways. He still longed for a time of peace where he wouldn't have to worry about when he would die. He sighed heavily. "Doesn't look very likely huh?"<p>

"We can't. Our destination is Alaska; stopping by Orb would take us completely off course." Sai argued.

Behind the teens Cagalli sat and listened to their conversation quietly. She took a sip of her drink and left. Kisaka watched her leaving. Feeling concerned that she might reveal who she truly was, he followed. "Cagalli!" he called out. Cagalli stopped and turned around looking at him. "I haven't said a word to anyone…" she paused for a moment and remembered that she told Heero some details about her life, but not about the deep hidden secret that Kisaka was so concerned over. She looked at him and responded quickly, hoping not to make him assume anything of her. "Stop bugging me about that, okay?"

Kisaka saw how she looked at him and how she paused. _"Who did she talk to…?"_ He pushed the thought away and looked at her. "As long as you don't tell anyone." He advised. Cagalli turned away and narrowed her eyes. "But if something bad happens, I think I should…" she said.

"Cagalli…"

Cagalli turned back arguing. "I can't help it! I understand the circumstances, but something tells me that I have to stay here, to protect this ship and everyone on it." Kisaka looked at her. He had seen her throughout her entire life and he had never once seen her with this kind of determination. _"War has brought something out of you. I just hope what you do will be beneficial for our nation."_

Cagalli turned and headed out. Kira walked passed her as they exchanged minor pleasantries. Kisaka looked at the two teens, wondering if Kira was the one she talked with. "Hmm…"

The door to the Mess hall opened. Sai and the others looked at Kira. There was this silence and tension in the room that made the whole experience unwelcoming. Sai looked down, still angered by what occurred. He didn't want to talk or look at Kira. No one wanted to really say anything. The situation between Kira, Flay, and Sai was something that they only experienced seeing in movies, but now that they were a part of it; it was just a nightmare. Kira looked down and proceeded to get Flay something to drink. He walked passed his friends silently. Miriallia stood up and rushed toward him, trying to break the silence in the room.

"Hey, how's Flay doing?" she asked. Kira found it easier to talk to Miriallia or any of his friends who wasn't Sai. He put up a sincere face and smiled. "Bad. She took some medicine, but she's still groaning." He replied. Kuzzey glanced at Sai, worried about his friend's state of mind. "Hey Sai, you okay?"

Sai gave a weak hearted smile and replied. "I'm fine; I know I can't compete against Kira." Kira left the Mess hall without saying another word, leaving his friends with a troubling silence in the room.

* * *

><p>Inside the hangar the mechanics and engineers scrambled to get the mobile suits and fighters into tip-top shape in case of another attack. The Archangel now had three mobile suits. The ship was built for housing the G-weapons and taking in one more mobile suit wasn't that much of an issue. The Deathscythe stood by the Wing Zero. Heero stood down below looking up at the Deathscythe. <em>"The design looks completely different from his unit back home…what's going on here…?" <em>Duo sat in the cockpit checking everything. He wanted to check the suit beforehand, but given the situation in the previous battle, he had no real time to check the machine thoroughly. He held onto the vertical controls and looked at the screen in front of him. Nearly all of Deathscythe's original components were intact. Duo glanced at one addition he found perplexing. "Huh…"

He moved the screen out of the way and disembarked from the suit. He came down and looked at Heero. Heero noticed the confused and concerned look on his face. "What is it?" he questioned Duo. Duo looked at Heero and replied. "It's just… everything's the same, minus the new body and design…though I found something in the suit that isn't in the original designs." Duo had used Deathscythe for a long time. He had nearly memorized every small detail there was on the suit. This allowed him to find parts and other components easily when Deathscythe was damaged.

"Let me guess…N-jammer Canceller?" Heero questioned. Duo gave him a startled look. "Hey, how did you know?" Heero sighed and leaned on Zero's leg. "Same thing's in Zero. It's what's allowing out suits to operate…" Duo gave him a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

"This world has Neutron Jammers. They're devices that render nuclear devices useless. I assumed that you would have run into this when you were looking around for information…" Heero said insultingly. Duo sighed and shook his head. "I found some things on it, but not much. I was more focused on finding out where the damned scientist is!" he argued. Duo gritted his teeth, looking at Heero as he grunted angrily at him.

Duo sighed and looked to the side, crossing his arms. "Well in any case, it looks like these N-Jammer Cancellers are illegal to have in mobile suits…I wonder how we got them…?" he questioned.

Heero remained silent. He had a strong feeling about where or who got those devices for their units. He closed his eyes, playing back the last events prior to them landing in the area. He remembered the hooded figure and the black Wing Zero. He opened his eyes. For the first time in a long while, Heero felt concerned. He worried that whoever that person was, he wouldn't be able to handle him. "Hmm…"

* * *

><p>In Gibraltar the pods were being unloaded as new and more mobile suits were set up on the base. Among the units were the Blitz and Aegis. The two suits' Phase Shifts were inactive, their armor gray as concrete. The Blitz had a darker shade of gray versus the Aegis' lighter tone. The cockpits opened as Athrun and Nicol disembarked from their suits. Athrun lowered down to the ground as Nicol approached him. Athrun looked at his friend. Nicol's face was flushed like he heard about something grave. Athrun looked at him worriedly. "What's the matter Nicol…you look like you've seen a ghost…" he commented assuming Nicol's reaction was not something serious. Nicol narrowed his eyes and stared at Athrun with a combined look of anger, worriedness, and deep concern.<p>

"Athrun, the Le Creuset team is supposed to meet in the infirmary! Yzak's injured!"

Athrun's eyes widened at this horrible news. He dropped his helmet and rushed toward the infirmary. The infirmary was like any hospital, it gave this strange aura of sickness and death. The odd hospital smell and all of the nurses and doctors walking about didn't make their presence in the infirmary any better. The two were directed to a waiting room where they saw Dearka sitting on the seat outside of the operating room. Athrun stopped and looked at him. "Dearka…." Athrun looked up to the bright red sign that read 'OPERATING'. He sighed heavily and sat down next to Dearka. He gave his friend a solemn look before speaking. "So how long has he been in there…?"

Dearka looked at Athrun and then glanced back toward the ground. "A few hours now. They say he might not be able to fight anymore due to his injury…"

Nicol stood by the two and gave Dearka a bewildering look. "How can that be? He can't be that hurt…could he?" he asked. Nicol felt extremely angered by this. Centuries of medical technology and they still couldn't help his friend get any better.

"He's greatly injured, Nicol. I don't expect him to return to the battlefield too soon, but knowing him, he'll find a way to come back."

Nicol turned around noticing his commander standing behind him. Le Creuset was a tall man. He had platinum blond hair that seemed to shine under every light. He wore a white commander's uniform that displayed his high rank. He had a mask that covered his eyes and nose. No one knew why Le Creuset wanted to hide his identity. He was an enigmatic Commander, always up to something besides helping his subordinates. "Commander Le Creuset!" Nicol greeted.

The three soldiers saluted their commander. Le Creuset raised his hand, wanting them to stop their saluting. "There's no need for that in this situation. Despite the situation, we do have to discuss what we'll do about the pilot that caused Yzak's injury." Hearing his commander's words Athrun's eyes lit up. He looked back concerned about how Yzak's operation would turn out, but felt this urge to know who did all of this to Yzak.

Le Creuset led the three to briefing room number two. Le Creuset stood behind a screen as the three watched and listened. "The Earth forces' Legged ship must be stopped from getting to Alaska with the data it's acquired. It's safe to assume that they've gained some technological superiority with the added forces from Delta One and Delta Two." Dearka looked at him confusingly. _"A second unit?"_

"Commander, I thought there was only one unit, what's the deal with this Delta Two?"

Le Creuset turned to the screen as an image of the Deathscythe or Delta Two was displayed. The three pilot's eyes widened at the sight of the new machine. Dearka seemed most surprised, not expecting another unit. Le Creuset looked at the three. "This unit appeared from a container that was found on an isolated island. From the reports the Legged ship was near this island when Commander Morassim attacked. Given the situation the mission to destroy the ship has been transferred to Carpentaria, but –"

Dearka slammed his fist down on the table. "Then why show us the images?"

Le Creuset sighed and raised his hand, trying to calm Dearka down. Nicol looked at Dearka, shocked to see him displaying such a powerful desire to fight. "Dearka…" Dearka looked at Nicol and sighed closing his eyes. "Well I have been humiliated by that ship and mobile suit, not to mention what that guy did to Yzak. I'm surprised you all aren't jumping to support me!"

Le Creuset gave a light chuckle, finding the animosity amusing. He quickly took a façade, smiling and hiding his excitement about the soldier's anger. "Now calm down, there's no reason to be fighting amongst ourselves. Needless to say, I feel the same. If you were to let me finish, Dearka; I showed you the images because you will be assisting them. Since you feel so strongly about retaliating for what they did to Yzak, we'll comprise a team consisting of Dearka, Athrun, and Nicol. You'll be headed to Carpentaria."

Athrun looked at the commander, wondering why it was only a three man group. "Aren't you coming too, Commander?"

"I must prepare for operation Spit Break, so I must remain here. The commander of your new team will be…" Le Creuset took a moment contemplating on who would be the best commander for this three man team. "Athrun. I'll have you in charge. I'll assign you to a submarine carrier in Carpentaria. You should prepare to leave immediately" He concluded.

Athrun was shocked by the commander's decision. "M-me Commander?" Le Creuset walked toward the exit and stopped standing next to Athrun. "That ship has been a real thorn at our side. It will not be easy Athrun, I'm counting on you…" Athrun questioned why he was chosen. He didn't know anything about the Delta One and Two units. How could he lead a team if he knew nothing about the enemy? His head moved up slightly as he asked Le Creuset a vital question. "B-but commander, I don't know anything about the enemy units besides the Legged ship!" he argued.

Le Creuset gave a hypnotizing, yet inspiring glance at the young soldier. "I believe in your skills Athrun. There's data on the battle from the reports here, and you'll have all the information you need on the carrier. Good luck." Le Creuset left the three soldiers. Athrun was left in awe. It was strange. Even though he couldn't see his commander's eyes, something pulled at him and caused him to believe that he could get job done, that he could destroy the two units. Then the realization that he would have to fight Kira sunk in. He remembered Le Creuset's words. _"If I don't shoot you down…I could be next…"_

Athrun tightened his fist. He was left with so many conflicting emotions that it felt like his conscience was breaking in two. He had this responsibility of destroying these enemies to his nation, but one of these enemies was his dear childhood friend. He wanted to cry out. He wanted to quit. No words could express how he felt. Angered? Grief Stricken? He couldn't tell his other comrades, they wouldn't understand. He sighed heavily and sucked it up, just like the military academy taught him to. Athrun mind was overwhelmed.

* * *

><p>Later on that day, while the suits and equipment were loaded onto the carrier, Athrun was glued to the computer screen. He had immersed himself in the past battle reports on the two new units. "<em>If I'm going to be a leader in this team, I'm going to have to know what we're up against!<em>" he thought. The screens changed with each click. He looked at the design of the suits trying to see if there were any weak points they could attack. He found an attachment that cataloged all of the destruction the two units caused. He was appalled at the destruction of the Henry Carter.

His eyes froze on one image. He looked at Yzak's injury report. The image was so gruesome. It seemed like he was standing right in front of the body. He read some of the written reports silently. _Left arm is lost. Remaining muscles from the shoulder and lower half of what remains may not be of any use._

Athrun turned away when he saw a close up image of the damage, he had seen horrible stuff during his military career, but the fact that it was his friend's injury just made it unbearable. He continued reading the report, finding it more tolerable than the images. "So Delta One caused all of the damage in the battle, not to mention the suits rifle…" Athrun paused and thought up of a battle plan. He narrowed his eyes in anger as he looked at the image of the Delta One.

"Hey, Athrun!"

Athrun looked up to see Nicol rushing toward him. Immediately assuming it was something dire, he stood up looking at Nicol worriedly. "What is it?"

"It's Yzak! He's out of surgery!" Nicol informed; his tone slightly pleased that his friend was out of surgery. Athrun smiled and headed to the infirmary. The two stood by the window and looked at Yzak's condition. They couldn't believe their eyes at what they saw. "No it can't be…"

"It is. The doctors said that they had to…" Dearka said sadly. He stood next to Nicol and Athrun. The three friends looked at Yzak lying in bed. The majority of Yzak's body was bandaged up. There seemed to be so many wires and tubes coming in and out of his body that it seemed surreal. All of these wires, tubes, and intravenous liquids didn't shock them as much compared to what they didn't see. Yzak's left arm was amputated. All that remained was a light bloody spot that had managed to bleed through the bandage. Athrun grunted in anger and looked down.

Dearka and Athrun were hell-bent on getting vengeance for Yzak. Nicol glanced at Yzak sadly. He understood the concept of war, but he didn't want to fight if he could have helped it. The young green haired teen was more of a peace loving civilian instead of a proper soldier. "Well…there are still prostatic arms and cybernetic ones! He could still have a relatively normal arm…" he said optimistically. Athrun and Dearka shot him an angry glare. The two were too knee-deep in anger to see things from a positive perspective.

"It doesn't matter, can't you see that Nicol!" Dearka argued. "His arm's gone. All thanks to that fucking Delta One pilot!" He slammed his fist into the wall.

Athrun looked at Yzak with heavy eyes. He was compelled by a sense of anger and sadness. _"When will this end…? When will all the pain and suffering end_?" Athrun tightened his fist as the image of Delta One flooded in his mind. His commander's words repeated in his memory like a ringing that wouldn't stop. All Athrun could think about was retaliating against Delta One and its pilot. He turned around and looked at the two. "We're going now! We'll follow the carrier that's transporting mobile suits for Commander Morassim. We can attack along with the commander and take down the bastard that did this to Yzak!"

Dearka smiled, delighted to hear Athrun taking such charge. "Sounds good to me, I'll get my chance to shoot the bastard down." Nicol was hesitant at first, looking down and considered his choices. He too felt a need for revenge for what happened to Yzak. With Athrun being their commander, he trusted his friend's judgment. "All right."

The three gave one final glance at their injured comrade before heading off.

They loaded up their machines along with the needed equipment. The three sat in their suits, waiting for the battle anxiously. Athrun sat in the Aegis, holding onto the horizontal controls tightly. All he imagined in his mind was the destruction of Delta One. His eyes lost their shine. He lost his innocence and sense of right and wrong giving way to the rage that built up inside.

The transport carrier left and the three pilot's plane followed. Athrun contacted Dearka and Nicol as the three planned out a surprise strike. "The transport carrier containing the mobile suits will get there an hour before us. I'm sure that there will be a battle. We can cut that delay time to half an hour if we launch before making contact with the commander's ship and head straight for the Legged ship." Athrun looked at them with intense eyes. His anger and adrenaline flooded his body as ideas for their strategy just kept hatching in his mind.

* * *

><p>The transport carrier containing the mobile suits arrived and Commander Morassim and his crew transferred to the new units. Morassim looked at the new mobile suit with a vengeful smile. "With these I'll get those bastards once and for all!"<p>

Morassim heard news of the incoming Zala team. Driven by the hatred he harbored for Le Creuset, he wasn't about to have his team outshone by Creuset's soldiers. Morassim quickly ordered his troops to mount an attack, hoping to use the increased moral to fuel their desire to fight. The mobile suits launched one by one and headed toward the unsuspecting Archangel.

* * *

><p>The Archangel continued on its course calmly. The ship was in a calm state. The waters splashed up as the ship moved swiftly through the sea. "Looks like todays going to be our lucky day…no bat—"<p>

Before the soldier could complete his sentence the sonar alarms went off. "We have a sonar contact at seven o' clock. It's a mobile suit signature!"

Badgiruel turned to the soldier, asking for confirmation. "Are you sure? How many?"

"Matching sound signals…we've got a squad of Goohns and two unidentified."

"All hands, level one battle stations." Murrue ordered. The alarm blared as everyone got into their battle stations. The three teens left the mess hall and headed to their posts. Kira left Flay alone to head toward the Strike. He looked at Flay before leaving. "Try to get some sleep, okay Flay? It'll make you feel better." He suggested. Sai and the others stopped when they saw Kira. Kira glanced at his friends and looked down silently.

Sai stood by Kira for just a moment, and although there was still a sense of animosity within him, he knew that Kira was doing all he could to protect the ship and he should support his friend no matter what. "I'm counting on you…" Sai and the others left heading to their post. Kira followed suit heading toward the hangar.

* * *

><p>Down below in the ocean, the group of marine mobile suits continued on their route toward the Archangel. The Goohns were leading the way with two suits following close by mixing themselves within the squad. The two unknown suits were a mixture of a dark olive color and dark green. The suit was fairly larger than the Goohns. The green suit had a horn like object on its head, giving it a menacing appearance. Inside the green suits were Morassim and his second in command, Kendrick. Morassim smiled when he saw how the Archangel moved noticing its route.<p>

"They're traveling through the shallow water, that's perfect for these Znos. And since Le Creuset's team is on their way, we better sink that ship now!" The Znos and Goohns fired their missiles toward the Archangel, aiming to sink the ship in one massive attack.

* * *

><p>The sensors detected the torpedoes. "Large number of torpedoes headed our way!" a soldier informed.<p>

"Neumann, take us up!" Murrue ordered. Arthur grunted slightly as he pulled the helm up so quickly. The ship rose up just in the nick of time. The torpedoes passed through the ships harmlessly but the lower 'leg' of the ships was hit by the Goohn's beam. The Goohns had taken their mobile armor form swimming on the surface of the ocean like a shark headed toward its prey.

Badgiruel yelled out orders to counterattack as the Eagle Stallone was lowered and the Valiants fired. The yellow electric beam aimed for the Goohns but the suits moved swiftly in the water and easily dodged the attack.

Inside the hangar, Duo and Heero were set to launch. Heero looked at all the settings on the cockpit. He stopped suddenly when the sphere in the center sounded and glowed brightly on its own the black area around the cockpit glowed a bright yellow for just a slight second. Heero felt Zero reaching into his mind, warning him of something coming in this battle. Heero closed his eyes taking in all of Zero's suggestions and warnings. "Understood."

The launch hatch opened as the two gundams launched, jumping off of the ship. Wing Zero took to the sky and Duo dove down below.

Morassim looked as the Deathscythe dove into the waters. He smiled with a devilish delight. _"Now you scythe wielding asshole…I'll take you down and avenge my soldiers!" _Morassim prepared to launch himself toward the Deathscythe when he saw Kendrick's unit speeding ahead. Morassim was angered at his losses in the last battle, but he wasn't a commander for nothing. He contacted his Kendrick. "Kendrick, go after the ship and the other unit, I'll deal with this guy!"

Kendrick was a young Chinese American soldier. He wore a black and white pilot suit, indicating that he had some kind of special status for his previous achievements. He was young but his will to fight and his battle prowess were nothing short of impressive. He narrowed his eyes at Morassim. "Let me handle this unit, commander! I can take him!" Morassim couldn't help but to smile at the young soldier. His attitude and "charge in first" personality reminded Morassim of his own days as a young soldier.

"Fine, don't get yourself killed…" he warned.

"Yes, Commander!"

Kendrick led a group of Goohns and charged in toward the Deathscythe. Duo saw the incoming suits and smiled. He moved the Deathscythe toward a rocky area in the ocean and used the thrusters to blow up some of the sands, giving him a perfect covering to activate his hyper jammers. The jammers activated as the strong electronic waves began their interference on the enemy suits. The Deathscythe disappeared on most conventional radars

* * *

><p>Inside the Archangel, Miriallia lost contact with Deathscythe and became concerned, but before she could inform the captain, Deathscythe's signature reappeared. <em>"Huh…must be a malfunction…"<em>

* * *

><p>Down below, the group stopped and fired at the cloud of sand, but achieved nothing from their attack. The soldiers piloting the Goohns were shocked when the Deathscythe disappeared from their radar.<p>

"Where'd he go?"

"He couldn't have just disappeared."

While the other soldiers were duped into believing that the Deathscythe was truly out of sight, Kendrick knew that the suit had to be hiding somewhere. _"The suit must have some kind of radar jamming if it's not showing up…." _Kendrick looked around cautiously. He kept his eyes alert, trying to figure out where the suit would be once it moved. He noticed a faint movement in the water's current. He turned around seeing the demonic eyes glowing behind the group of Goohns. He moved his unit away from the group and turned around, seeing the glow of the Deathscythe's deadly scythe.

"Get out of the way!"

Kendrick's warning was too late. Deathscythe raised its beam scythe and swung the powerful weapon, destroying four Goohns in one swing. Duo looked over to the Zno and smiled. "Wow, I got to say, you're one of the few who've manage to avoid my attack." Duo seemed excited by this battle. He hadn't felt this sense of purpose in being a warrior on the battlefield since the Mariemaia Army uprising. The two suits looked at each other. Each of them floated, remaining as still as possible as if they waited for the other to make the first strike.

Kendrick had enough of waiting as he charged in first. Duo smiled as he charged in as well. The two suits headed toward each other in a deadly undersea battle.

* * *

><p>Up above, Wing Zero fired at the torpedoes and suits that surfaced, destroying a few of them. Wing Zero's weapons were powerful but the Goohns had an advantage in the water. They moved out of the way and dodged Wing Zero's buster rifles and machine cannons. Heero grunted slightly knowing Wing Zero's weaknesses, but he was trained to overcome those weaknesses to become the perfect soldier. Wing Zero flew near the waters, hovering just above its surface. When one of the Goohns rose up to attack, Wing Zero flew in close and fired its rifles and machine cannons at a close range, stopping their chance to dodge the attack.<p>

Morassim rose up and fired the Zno's Phonon maser high energy canons mounted in its hands. Heero noticed the beams and maneuvered the suit out of the way, increasing in altitude and dodged the shots. Morassim grunted noticing the pilots' ability to adapt to the battle conditions. He found it unbelievable that such a pilot could move from one tactic to another in such short time. It was like his reaction time to perform anything on the battlefield was beyond any human comprehension.

"Who is that pilot…?" Morassim questioned

* * *

><p>Inside the Archangel the Strike was loaded onto the catapult. While the Strike was being prepared for armaments, Murdoch contacted Kira, questioning his choice in armaments. "You want the Sword Striker pack?"<p>

"Yes, if I disengage the beam I can use it as a normal sword. And with its light armaments, I can move more easily in the water."

"Roger that,"

The Strike was outfitted with its sword striker pack. The armament pack consisted of a large anti-ship sword and blue armor pieces that covered the suits left shoulder. The armament contained a grapple anchor mounted on its left arm and a beam boomerang connected to the extra shoulder armor. With the Strike loaded up, the suit bent its knees and launched out into battle. It turned around and tried to attack one of the Goohns, diving into the water chasing after it.

Morassim noticed the suit diving down and smiled. "I'll take care of the easy fish first." His Zno dove down and chased toward the Strike.

* * *

><p>Inside the bridge Murrue check on Mu's status. They planned for the Skygrasper to search and destroy the submarine carrier. "Commander La Flaga"<p>

"Okay, CIC, what's their current location?"

"Currently estimating their location by wake-tracking." Sai replied

"Roger that," Mu disconnected the communication line and heard some commotion down below. He looked over to see Cagalli arguing with Murdoch.

"Why do you insist on letting this aircraft just sit here? I told you I can fly this thing!" Cagalli yelled.

"But you…"

"If they sink the archangel then it's all over. And it will be your entire fault because you didn't let me help out!" Cagalli said pointing her finger at Murdoch blaming him if the ship were to be destroyed. Murdoch responded quickly trying to explain to the adamant blond.

"But we got three mobile suits out there; we don't really need any more help!"

Mu noticed how determined she seemed. He laughed at how Murdoch still seemed nervous after his statement. "She wins this round regardless of what you say. We're going after their mother ship, so the more fire power there is the better." Mu waved his finger. "But understand this young lady, this is not a game. Your butt's on the line out there"

"I know that! And the name is Cagalli!"

The two Skygrasper units launched. Mu's unit was mounted with the launcher striker pack while Cagalli's unit went without any extra armaments.

* * *

><p>Down below Duo continued his battle against the other Zno unit. The Deathscythe swung its scythe down at the suit but the Zno tried to dodge. Thanks to Kendrick's honed piloting skills he narrowly managed to get out of the way. Kendrick yelled as he fired the Zno's missiles at the Deathscythe. The Zno's missiles launched their way toward Deathscythe. Duo moved the suit out of the way. It kicked on the one of the rock formations to aid its movement, dodging most of the missiles. The suit raised its buster shield and defended itself against one of the missiles that was still headed its way.<p>

Duo grunted from the impact as he looked up. A cloud of smoke appeared surrounding his unit. The smoke spreads out as the Zno lunged toward the Deathscythe. The large claws spread out to grab onto the suit. Duo reacted quickly and used the beam scythe's staff to block the grapple attempt.

Duo gritted his teeth in anger, feeling the weight of the enemy suit bearing down upon him. "Shit, whatever your suits are made of, they're heavy as hell!"

"You'll pay for taking my comrades!" Kendrick yelled with fury. The Zno moved its hands up a bit more and fired the energy cannons mounted in its hands. Duo moved the suits head and dodged the beams. "What? I thought these suits weren't supposed to be able to use beams underwater!"

Duo moved the Deathscythe back, making distance between the two suits for a brief moment. "I guess this is going to be more interesting than I thought!" Duo smiled, showing no fear whatsoever toward this pilot and the large mobile suit.

* * *

><p>In another area underwater, Kira dealt with the remaining Goohn units that fired at the ship. Kira grunted as he blocked a Goohn's fire. "Man, I'm going to have to take care of all of them…!"<p>

Kira heard the alarm for incoming fire blaring as he looked behind him, a group of missiles shot at the Strike hitting the surrounding rock that it used as a shield. Some of the missiles managed to explode near the Strike pushing it away. Kira looked to the side, holding onto the controls tightly as the cockpit shook violently when the suit was pushed.

Out from the black smoke Morassim's Zno charged at the Strike. "That's it, I got him! You guys go after the ship!" he ordered.

The Zno turned around and stopped aiming its large claws at the Strike. Once the Goohns left the area the Zno fired its energy cannons. The Strike moved and jumped, dodging the beams. Morassim moved the suit closer toward the Strike, using its mobility underwater to aid its swift movements.

"That must be…" Kira assumed the suit to be the commander's.

"I'm going to tear that suit to pieces with this Zno! Get ready, punk!"

The Zno charged in and prepared to strike with one of its large claws. Kira attempted to slice the hand off with the sword, but the Zno moved turning and pulling back its arm to avoid the strike. Morassim countered and continued, hitting the strike and firing off more missiles.

* * *

><p>The Skygraspers proceeded on away from the battle as they searched for the enemy ship. Mu grunted angrily, trying to spot the ship. "Where is that puppy..?" he questioned.<p>

Cagalli followed close behind and looked at Mu's unit confusingly. "What…puppy?" she asked.

* * *

><p>On route to the Archangel was the three pilot's carrier ship. They reached their launch point and informed the pilot of the ship that they'd go into the battle. The three G-weapons dropped out of the ship along with three Guuls. The suits activated their Phase Shift Armor. The Aegis' armor took a red hue. The Blitz's dark armor changed to a mixture of black and spots of dark violet. The Buster took its sandy tan color and sported orange and dark green additions on its body.<p>

Athrun, Dearka, and Nicol headed toward the battle, determined to avenge what happened to their friend.

* * *

><p>Down below, Kira continued to fight Morassim. The Strike regained its balance and fired off its Rocket anchor, but Morassim used the Zno's claw and knocked it away. The Zno thrusts itself toward The Strike, ramming it into the rocky area below. Kira grunted finding the suit too difficult to handle. "It's too strong!"<p>

Kira moved the Strike away from the Zno dodging its missiles. Morassim grunted and continued chasing.

* * *

><p>Heading toward the battle was the <em>Cousteau<em>. The ship cruised underwater smoothly. The commanding officer glanced over toward one of the soldiers and ordered the Dinns to launch. The Dinns walked toward the hatch waiting for the ship to surface. The ship slowly surfaced, but the radars displayed unknown signals above the ship.

"Radar's showing something above the water…two aircrafts from their ships" the soldier informed.

"What?" the commanding officer yelled, glancing up at the ceiling as if he looked up at the sky.

Above the ship The Skygraspers were closing in. The Skygraspers hovered over the sea as they neared they neared the ship. Mu glanced down and smiled. "There she is. Are you ready, girl?" he asked.

Cagalli followed and frowned at Mu's question. "That's Cagalli!" Cagalli and Mu fired off missiles at the ship.

Inside the ship the soldier got word of the incoming missiles. "Incoming missiles!"

"Evade them!"

"Can't it's too late!"

The missiles rained on the ship and caused the ship to flood. The commander had no choice but to surface, hoping the Dinns would aid in their defense. The two circled the ship waiting for it to surface. The ship rose up and the launch hatch opened. The Dinns prepared to launch but Mu gave them no chance, firing the Agni cannon at the ship. The submarine went up in smoke, seemingly destroyed.

Cagalli looked down happily at the smoking ship. She put her guard down too quickly assuming that the ship was destroyed. She looked up seeing Dinns flying out of the smoke and attacking them.

The Aegis, Blitz, and Buster were closing in on the battle. Athrun noticed two of the Legged ship's fighter planes attacking the Cousteau. He contacted Nicol and looked at his friend. Nicol looked at Athrun with a smile at first, but he noticed the shine in his eyes were gone. _"What's wrong Athrun…?"_

"Nicol, I want you to help the Cousteau forces while Dearka and I head to the ship and take care of Delta One and Delta Two."

Nicol didn't say a word of objection to his acting commander and friend. The Blitz proceeded to toward the Skygraspers while the other two continued on toward the Archangel and Delta units.

Athrun and Dearka's determination grew with each moment that they neared the ship. A few moments later they were close enough to get a view of Delta One. Dearka grinned, excited for this chance at revenge. "There you are. Now you'll see what my Buster can really do!"

Athrun gritted his teeth in anger but he still had some control as he watched how the suit moved. "Dearka wait!" Athrun's cry was too late as the Buster charged in and aimed both of its rifles at Delta One. Athrun gritted his teeth in anger. _"With that kind of movement, it's better to go in with a sneak attack rather than charge it head on!"_

"Damn it!" He followed suit and headed toward Delta One.

* * *

><p>Heero continued to defend the Archangel against the incoming missiles from the remaining Goohns. He frowned slightly. "What's taking Duo so long with the underwater forces…?" He questioned. Wing Zero flew around intercepting the missiles and destroying them. The suit moved elegantly in the air as its wing binders opened. Heero saw two units remaining foolishly static. He rushed in and performed another close range rifle shooting, destroying the units.<p>

The sensors blared. Heero glanced up seeing two beams raining down upon him. The Wing Zero increased its thrust output and moved out of the way dodging the shots. "It's them…" he said suspiciously. _"They're the ones Zero warned about…"_

Onboard the Archangel the crew got confirmation signals of the enemy G weapons. Sai's eyes widened. "Enemy signals …they're the Aegis and Buster!"

Murrue's eyes widened. She felt exhausted the minute she heard those names, she gritted her teeth and grunted; her hands gripped her arm rests tightly in anger. _"Just great…they really want to finish us off that badly? Damn it all to Hell!"_

* * *

><p>Beneath the ocean, Duo's battle raged on. The battle had turned into a dodging game. Duo observed the suit, studying it trying to find a weak point, or at the very least the direct location of the cockpit. Duo glanced down seeing two new signatures on his radar. Two small windows appeared on the left screen displaying the Aegis and Buster's data. "Great…" Duo sighed. He didn't have time to be lazy anymore. He knew he had taken this battle lightly just because he took a liking toward the pilot's skills.<p>

The Deathscythe rushed in and swung its scythe at an upward angle. Kendrick used the Zno's large claw and grabbed the staff stopping the strike. Kendrick smiled "At this close range you won't survive this!" The Zno fired off the rest of its missiles. The missiles rammed into the Deathscythe exploding one after another. Duo sat in the cockpit smiling.

"Just what I wanted you to do,"

The Deathscythe dropped its scythe and floated back slightly. Duo waited for this pilot to take the bait.

Kendrick watched with great happiness that the suit was down. "Now to finish you off!" The Zno rushed in and aimed its cannons at the suit, but Kendrick stopped seeing the Deathscythe moving quickly in the water. "Huh?"

Deathscythe raised its left arm and jammed into the enemy suit. The pincers on the buster shield locked into the Zno's armor. "I'll see you…in Hell!" Duo moved the left control forward as the beam ignited and launched; tearing the armor apart like it was nothing. Kendrick screamed as his cockpit flooded and exploded.

Deathscythe grabbed a hold of its Beam scythe and retrieved its buster shield. "I need to get back into the game." He commented cheerfully. Duo sighed and surfaced.

* * *

><p>The Buster fired its canon and rifle relentlessly. Dearka gritted his teeth together so hard it seemed like the pressure was going to shatter his teeth. Delta One continued to display its mobility as it dodged the Buster's shots. "Man, this guy's worse in the air!" Dearka complained.<p>

Heero took quick note of the flight units the mobile suits stood on. "They can't fly on their own…" Heero continued dodging waiting for the right moment to counterattack and disable their units' ability to fight.

Athrun grew tired of watching the suit dodge. Driven by his desire for revenge, Athrun acted obnoxiously. He charged in and tried to attack the Delta One head on. The yellow beam saber ignited on the wrist mounted weapon. The Aegis neared the Delta One and swung its saber. Delta One moved out of the way and pulled its saber out and countered with its own swing. Athrun countered with the second saber, locking sabers with the unit.

"Damn you! I'll never forgive you for what you did to Yzak!"

Heero kept his calm demeanor as the two suits engaged in a saber duel. Delta One and the Aegis traded blows flying towards each other and swinging their sabers, only to have a minor clash and end up at opposite ends.

The Buster tried to get a clear shot at Delta One but each time he got a chance to fire, Athrun would rush in and clash with Delta One. "Athrun get out of the way!" Disappointed that he couldn't take part in the fight, Dearka directed his attention toward the Archangel. "If I can't get Delta One, then you'll do!" The Buster used its Guul and flew up towards the ship trying to weasel its way pass all of the enemy fire.

* * *

><p>Murrue grew worried. She was losing control of the battle. She didn't know where anyone was if they weren't in front of her eyes, and to make matters worse they had to face the Buster alone. "Aim Gottfrieds at the Buster, shoot it down!" All of the Archangel's cannons, machine guns, and missiles fired at the Buster. Dearka smiled and used one of the cannon and rifle's configurations to destroy all of the missiles.<p>

"You won't be able to take me down with blind fire!" he said confidently.

"Then how about a surprise attack?"

Dearka looked up seeing an intimidating black suit coming down at him with a beam scythe. The appearance of the suit gave him chills and his reaction slowed slightly. The tip of the scythe managed to hit the Guul unit and damaged it enough to force the Buster to jump. Dearka grunted angrily. He wouldn't go down so easily. He used another configuration and fired a powerful long beam at the Archangel, damaging the launch hatch.

The Buster used its thrusters to hover in the air, but without any stabilizers, it wouldn't remain in the air for long. Dearka had to find a Guul or another method to remain in the air or he would sink to the ocean. The Deathscythe dropped into the ocean and landed on the rocky area. Once the thrusters cooled down enough Duo resurfaced once more. He gritted his teeth in annoyance. "If only I had the updated suit…"

While the Deathscythe could hover in the air for a long period, it had no wings to stabilize itself, unlike its upgraded version.

* * *

><p>Cagalli and Mu continued battling the Blitz and Dinns. Mu worked quickly and destroyed the Dinns, trying to take out the grunt suits before he focused on the Blitz. The Skygrasper closed in on the Blitz and fired the Agni cannon. The Blitz moved out of the way and fired its beam rifle attached to its Trikeros offensivedefensive shield. Mu narrowed his eyes barrel-rolling the Skygrasper, dodging the beams.

Cagalli flew about aimlessly, trying to get closer towards the Blitz. She grunted in anger when the Dinns got in her way. She flew away from the Dinns and tried to find another way toward the Blitz. The Dinns turned and fired their rifles at Cagalli's unit. One of the Dinns managed to hit her unit, damaging it. Mu dodged the Blitz's Vulcans and spotted smoke coming from Cagalli's unit.

"Hey you all right?"

"Yea, it's only my navigation system."

"Then hurry up and get back to the ship while you still can. I'll hold off the enemy."

"I'm fine, I can still fight!"

"Don't be a fool! You're only getting in the way now, you're dead weight! Hurry up and get back to the ship before it's too late!"

Cagalli growled when she heard Mu's comment about her being dead weight. "Gr…fine…"

Cagalli's unit proceeded out of the battle. Nicol looked over to see one of the Skygraspers trying to escape. "No you don't!" The Blitz raised its offensive/defensive shield and prepared to fire its lance darts to destroy the unit. Mu saw this and charged in firing the cannon and prevented Nicol's attack, destroying the darts.

"You're going up against me!"

Mu charged in firing the Skygraspers' machine cannon. The Blitz moved to the side and fired its Geilpnir anchor. Mu grunted and leaned to the side maneuvering the Skygrasper at an angle. The tip of the Blitz's anchor made a nick on the Skygrasper's armor. Mu countered, firing the Agni cannon, hitting the Blitz right arm damaging the suits Trikeros offensive/defensive system.

Nicol grunted angrily firing off the Vulcans. The fast rounds struck the Skygrasper, sending it down to the ocean. Mu yelled out as his unit fell onto the ocean. "Oh shit!" The Skygrasper landed on the water and floated on the ocean, its engines smoking. Nicol grunted and left the enemy plane alone and proceeded on to the Archangel.

Mu looked back seeing the Blitz headed to the Archangel, "No, damn it all to Hell!" He slammed his fist on the panel in anger.

* * *

><p>Athrun continued engaging Delta One; he sought only to see its destruction. Athrun yelled as the Aegis fired its Vulcans, trying to slow the Delta One down. The barrels on the Aegis head lit up like fire as each round was pushed out. The trail of bullets headed toward the Delta One. The Delta One moved out of the way swaying left and right to dodge the trail of bullets. Heero narrowed his eyes and moved Zero back and forth. The suit spun at times as it moved closer toward the Aegis.<p>

Athrun grunted seeing the Delta one closing in. Athrun was fueled by rage. He wanted more power. He wanted power to destroy this Delta One. Athrun yelled out and closed his eyes for a split second. His eyes dilated as the green hue covered his eyes. His mind went into over drive processing everything that was occurring in the battle. He moved out of Delta One's way and headed toward the Buster.

"Dearka!"

He ejected the Guul and kicked the flight unit toward his friend. Athrun knew the Aegis had slight flight capability even if it was for a short time. Dearka looked at the falling unit and grabbed ahold. He sighed, glad that Athrun gave him a Guul. He wasn't sure how long his unit would have stayed in the air. The Buster flipped over and landed on the foot locks. The Buster flew and continued its attack on the ship and Delta Two.

Heero saw The Aegis disengaging its use of the flight unit. This slightly surprised him. He wondered what changed. Heero looked at the Aegis as it turned around and dashed toward Zero. Athrun yelled as he activated all four sabers on the Aegis. The Aegis clashed with Delta one using for of its sabers against Delta One's.

Heero moved the saber back and forth parrying nearly every strike. "Hmm…" he noticed the pilot's movement and reaction time increased dramatically. Zero swung its saber and parried all four sabers at once. Heero backed off and aimed the twin buster rifle. The beam charged as the yellow glow appeared at the tip of the barrel. The Aegis' slim spear like mobile armor form opened up into a claw like formation. The center of the suit glowed as it fired its cannon. The blue and red beam rushed toward Delta One.

Wing Zero fired its twin buster rifle and a large yellow beam erupted from the rifle, hurling towards the blue beam. The two beams collided creating a massive explosion of force. The two beams grinded at each other, trying to push the other back. Bolts of lightning surrounded the blasts. Athrun seemed blinded by the bright light of the beam's collision. He looked down at the energy gauge. The Scylla cannon wasn't built for long periods of fire. Athrun was demanding too much of out of the unit. _"If I keep using the cannon I won't have enough power to go back!" _

Athrun bit his tongue and decided to pull back, despite the shame. He let go of the trigger and tried to move the Aegis out of the way, but the Delta One's beam kept going and damaged the Aegis. The suit was going down into the ocean.

* * *

><p>Down below, the Strike and Morassim's Zno's battle continued. Morassim saw the Kendrick's signal disappear as he grunted in anger. Morassim directed his anger at the Strike as the Zno managed to pin the Strike down. Kira stabbed the Zno's arm with the anti-ship sword but that wasn't enough. "I'll kill you!" Morassim yelled<p>

Kira saw the beam on the Zno charging and reacted quickly. "Oh no you don't!"

The side skirt on the Strike opened as it grabbed the Armor Schneider knives. The strike stabbed the Zno with the knives. Kira looked at the sparks coming from the machine. He knew those sparks well. They were the same sparks as the ones that came off of Andrew's suit. Kira frowned. The Strike grabbed a hold of the Zno's tube near its eyes and flipped it over onto a rock formation before it exploded.

Kira heard a splash and looked over to some object covered in the smoke of its own engines. Kira sighed and proceeded to handle this enemy as well. The Strike didn't have any weapons beside the useless boomerang and its own Vulcans, still, Kira was determined to finish this battle so he could rest. The Zno's strikes and constant tackles had damaged the suits sensors. Kira was left with fighting the enemy with his own eyes and ears. The Strike Dashed toward the enemy with its fist pulled back. Kira yelled as he prepared to strike the enemy, but stopped when he saw who the enemy was.

"A-Athrun…?"

Athrun glanced over to the Strike. His eyes no longer dilated, but widened with shock. "Kira…" The two friends stared at each other silently for a brief minute until another splash interrupted their silent moment. Athrun looked over to see the Delta Two. He grunted and transformed the Aegis once again and flew out of the water. Athrun saw Nicol on the sensors and looked at everyone's condition.

Athrun gritted his teeth in anger. He was taught that, even though there was no shame in retreating when they had the chance, there was still this shameful feeling that covered him. He grunted and gave out orders to retreat. The Buster and Blitz complied and moved away from the Archangel. The three left the battle with the Aegis dragging behind

Duo looked over to Kira and questioned why he didn't attack the mobile suit. "Something's going on…" The Strike and Deathscythe surfaced and returned to the ship. Wing Zero hovered in the air and looked at the three suits leaving. "Hmm…"

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><p>The Archangel's forces regrouped, they still had to find Mu and Cagalli. Mu was found clinging to his aircraft in the middle of the ocean. Cagalli managed to rendezvous with the ship later that night. Heero looked at Kira when the young pilot lowered himself from the Strike. Heero glanced over toward Duo. "You sure he did that…?"<p>

Duo stood next to Heero and nodded. "Yea, he just looked at the Aegis like he knew the guy or something."

Heero was trained to kill, and killing was among the set number of skills he excelled at. He waited for Kira to go down the hallway alone and followed him. Heero tightened his fist. Part of him didn't want to proceed with what he planned to do, yet he knew that if the issue wouldn't be resolved, the ship and its crew would remain under constant attack.

Kira was exhausted, fighting through all of those forces and running into Athrun again just took exhausted him further.

"Kira…"

Kira heard Heero's voice and turned around seeing Heero's fist headed toward his face. Kira felt his body landing onto the floor. He looked up at Heero angrily with bruised cheek.

"What the hell was that for?" he yelled.

Kira looked up to see Heero's cold eyes staring down at him. Kira became silent; staring at Heero like he was some being that was judging Kira's soul.

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><p><strong>Read and Review<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Anger and Peace

Disclaimer: I do not own gundam seed or gundam wing.

**Author's note:** drake202 – yes there will be crossover pairings, but as for who will be with who, one's kind of hinted or going in that direction. As for others, I haven't decided yet.

For my purposes the Vosgulov class ships will hold more mobile suits than originally designed.

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><p>Kira was down on the ground after a hard right from Heero's fist. He stared at Heero angrily wondering why he hit him like that. His cheek was beginning to flush, showing signs of bruising and pain. Kira grunted as he got up and narrowed his eyes at Heero. Even though he was exhausted, his anger towards the lone soldier fueled him to find a motive for the action. Kira gritted his teeth together in anger and tightened his fists. He lunged himself at Heero trying to punch him back, but Heero easily moved to the side causing the young soldier to stumble slightly before regaining his stability. Heero narrowed his eyes at the boy. He read Kira's moves easily. With his anger and inexperience in combat outside of the mobile suit, Kira was easy pickings for Heero.<p>

Kira tightened his fist once more. He frowned in disgust at himself. He had never gone and attacked someone like that before. Why did he now? He looked at Heero with confused eyes. "Why did you hit me?" he yelled questioning Heero's reason.

Heero kept his calm demeanor and looked at the boy seriously. "I know what happened at the end of the last battle. Why didn't to attack the Aegis when you had a clear shot?"

Kira's eyes widened for a moment surprised that Heero knew about what occurred. He frowned and looked to the side. Heero noticed the look of discontent and remorse. He knew the signs all too well. Heero narrowed his eyes slightly. _"He knows the pilot…"_ Heero's eyes averted from Kira and glanced over toward some soldiers headed their way. Many of them questioned what happened as they surrounded the two. The soldiers noticed Kira's cheek and spoke amongst themselves. Miriallia, Tolle, and all of Kira's friends looked at him worriedly.

"Kira, what happened?" she questioned.

Kira ignored her question keeping his eyes to the floor.

Mu approached the two, standing in the middle. He looked at Kira and Heero. He glanced at Heero seriously questioning what Kira did to deserve a hit to the face. Heero looked at Mu, but noticed Kira's eyes glaring at him. Heero ignored Mu's question and walked away leaving the entire group. He passes Kira and whispered, keeping his words between them. "It's either his life or your friends."

Kira's eyes once again widened. He was frozen and speechless. _"How could he know about Athrun..?"_ Kira snapped back to reality and blinked multiple times when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up seeing Mu asking him a question. He looked down wondering what he should do. If he told the commander about what happened, sooner or later they'd find out he knows one of the pilots that stole the G-weapons. Kira sighed and looked down giving into his tired state. "It's nothing, Commander…I got to go. I got to get some sleep."

Kira walked away leaving the group as well. Mu glanced at both pilots, _"Just what happened between those two?" _He noticed the group around him and motioned his hand. "Come on now, come on! Get going, you all aren't just going to stand here and let us get shot down, are you?" he yelled. The soldiers rushed to the post, leaving the thought of what occurred behind them for now.

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><p>Heero walked back into the hangar and headed toward Zero. He stopped and glanced over at the Deathscythe. The suit had its entire thruster flaps and compartments opened. He walked toward the suit and noticed Duo propping his head out from the cockpit. "Watch out!" Duo yelled.<p>

Deathscythe moved its arm as a ton of water was flushed out. Heero moved to the side avoiding the water. Heero noticed some of the soldiers glancing at him giving him a cautious and fearful look. Heero sighed, closing his eyes ignoring the stares. Murdoch approached the suit and yelled at Duo raising his fist up at him. "Hey watch it! If you're going to do that, do that outside! We can't afford to have the equipment water-logged because you're drying your suit!"

Duo dropped down to the ground using the zip line. He smiled nervously and raised his hands up. "All right, all right. I'll do it another time when there's not many important equipment around." Duo said, making light of the situation. Murdoch grunted, annoyed with Duo's easy going attitude. He left, tending to other priorities. Duo smiled watching Murdoch leave. He sighed and looked at Heero. "So did you have a talk with him?"

Heero remained still. "I needed to know his relation with the pilot of the Aegis, so I punched him."

Duo looked at him insanely. "You got to be kidding me, right? I mean if you wanted to know you could have asked."

"He would have denied. By attacking him first and then confronting him about the situation I was able to determine how close he was to this person. By the looks of things, the pilot of the Aegis could be a friend or someone of similar significance. I didn't get a chance to get any more details because the soldiers and commander stepped in and surrounded us."

"Okay, so what did you do? I imagine it'd be tough leaving in a situation like that."

"I left without answering anyone's questions. I gave Kira a choice: His friends or this person he knows."

Duo cringed at the thought of fighting a friend in a war. "Those kinds of battles are the toughest. Never knowing who's on the right side until it's too late. I hate to imagine fighting any of my friends. Hell, I couldn't imagine shooting down any of you guys after all the shit we been through. No amount of focusing or control over my emotions would allow me to do that." He admitted.

Heero opened his eyes looking at Duo. "If I had to, I'd kill you right now." He said dryly.

Duo crossed his arms turning his head the other way, pouting for a brief moment. He narrowed his eyes at Heero. "I see one of us hasn't changed that much in two years; still ruthless as ever. You know once all battles are finished, what will you do?" Duo sighed and waved his arm. "See ya. I'm going to have some chow." Duo headed toward the mess hall leaving Heero alone to ruminate over his comrade's words.

Heero sighed thinking about how much he had changed over the last few years. He thought about all the things he's done and everything he went through. Although the change was welcoming to Heero, it deeply concerned him if his change would affect his fighting. Would he be able to fight more difficult battles in the future? Heero closed his eyes as the image of the Black Wing Zero flashed in his mind. _"Will I be able to destroy that suit when the time comes? And what of my future once all battles cease…?"_

Heero thought back to his small skirmish with Wufei. He understood Wufei's words and feelings of wanting some purpose of out of the peace they had worked so hard to forge. He was offered a chance to be a Preventer multiple times, but he turned down the offer, feeling his future lied elsewhere. Throughout the two years he felt his purpose for existing slowly diminishing. Small situations that required his intervention to keep the peace kept his will to exist alive, but at other times, it dimmed like a dying flame. Doing all of these missions and assisting the Preventers did nothing to fill the emptiness he had once he found himself outside mobile suit combat.

He turned over and gazed upon the Wing Zero. "_Maybe inside the cockpit of the mobile suit is where I belong. It's where I can fight, and where I can find my own future, built with my own two hands. For now, I have a future in this dimension."_

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><p>On the bridge Murrue looked toward the see with hopeful eyes. It was another survival battle for the crew and she had all of the pilots to thank. She sighed and smiled. <em>"If it wasn't for all of them, I don't think we'd manage to get this far…"<em>

Some of the crewmen returned to their post later than usual. She glanced down at one of the soldiers curiously, looking at all the late soldiers. "What's going on?" she questioned. The soldier looked at her and quickly replied, telling her of the apparent hit Kira suffered from Heero. Murrue was appalled by the news. She knew Heero seemed cold hearted and acted that way most of the time, but she couldn't believe that he would do such a thing.

"Do you know why this happened?" she questioned.

"No ma'am, both of them left without answering anyone's questions, not even the Commanders'"

Murrue sunk back into her seat and sighed, trying to think positive. _"As long as they don't do this again, it shouldn't be too much of a problem I hope."_

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><p>Kira lied down on his bed putting his forearm on his forehead resting restlessly. He tried to get some sleep but it seemed he couldn't. All he could think about was the thought of Heero having the power to isolate him from most of the crew, if not all of them. He sighed and turned to his left looking down at the floor. <em>"Just what am I supposed to do? I don't want to fight or kill Athrun, but I don't want my friends to get hurt either."<em>

Kira groaned and wanted to cry. He didn't know what else to do but cry. His eyes began to tear and his body felt heavy from the trouble feelings dwelling inside. His body shivered involuntarily as he started to feel his tears coming out. The unexplainable feeling of sadness overwhelmed him. He stopped when he heard the alarm for the door sounding. He turned around and saw Flay at the door, looking at him with the most worried eyes.

"Kira…"

She moved and sat on his bed next to him. She patted his head lovingly showing her concern for his well-being. "It's going to be okay, Kira. I'm here now, you can forget about everything that happened between you and that Heero…" she narrowed her eyes. Her tone hissed when she said Heero's name, like it was poison. Kira looked up at her with tearing eyes.

"I just don't know what to do Flay…"

"About what? Why did he hit you?" she looked at him curiously

Kira took a moment to word his reply trying to hide the fact he knew the pilot of the Aegis. "He said I wasn't trying hard enough to kill them."

Flay smiled devilishly finding some common ground and happiness that Heero pushed him to kill those Coordinators. _"Maybe he isn't useless after all…"_ Her mind devised an idea. It seemed so perfect for her. She leaned in and looked at Kira.

"He's only saying that because he's got a stronger mobile suit than you. If you were piloting that suit, you'd be winning the battles single-handedly."

Kira sighed "I guess, but he's from another world. He's probably seen mobile suits that are more difficult to handle compared to ours."

She saw the grip she had on Kira loosening and grunted. "Well why don't you try piloting his suit, I'm sure you'll see the difference once you do." She leaned closer and pushed her breasts onto his chest, trying to entice him to agreeing to her suggestion.

Kira grunted slightly and looked up at her. "I doubt he'd let me pilot the suit. And besides, he set that suit to blow up if anyone gets near it besides him and that other guy…"

Flay smiled, kissing his lips and wiping away his tears. "Don't you worry about that, Kira. Leave it to me." She got up and left his room smiling at him and winking before the door closed. Kira lied in his bed wondering where she went and what she meant by "leave it to me" He turned to his other side and looked at the wall, troubled by the thoughts running through his mind.

* * *

><p>Heero sat on the cockpit hatch clearing out the cockpit and maintaining the suit. Everyone seemed to be getting ready for dinner or doing something other than being in the same room as Heero. He sighed and found this alone time more soothing than most. Working on his suit, calmed him down and allowed him to focus on the next task or battle at hand.<p>

He heard footsteps approaching his machine and looked down seeing the red-haired girl. He glanced at her noticing she had opened her uniform to show her breasts. It was a pathetic look. He had no interests in letting his emotions cloud his judgment on the battlefield so he kept love and all other emotions far away, even outside of the battlefield.

She stopped in front of the machine and gave a dazzling smile. "Hey Heero…" she said in a seductive voice. "Could you come down here and answer my question?" she said innocently putting her finger near her lip. Heero stopped and looked down at her. He took a moment and glanced around the hangar seeing no one.

"If you want to ask me something, just say it. No one's here."

Flay frowned seeing her attempt gone awry. _"He's more strong willed. This is going to be more difficult than I thought. But, every man has a breaking point; it's all just a waiting game…"_

She smiled and complied, asking her question. "Why don't you give Kira a chance to pilot your machine? If you want him to try harder shouldn't he get the better machine?"

Heero knew immediately what she was planning to do. He didn't care if it was her own intentions that led her to do this or if it was Kira's. The motives would have been the same in the end. He looked at her eyes, seeing a sign of deceit. _"Something's going on between those two..."_

He decided to humor her and dropped down to the floor looking at her. Flay saw her chance and tried to give herself to Heero. She wrapped her arms around him gently and whispered into his ear. "What do you like? I'll do anything you want if you let Kira pilot your suit…" Her voice sounded sweet like an angel's voice. Heero didn't respond to her question and remained still, seemingly unaffected by her attempts.

Flay used too little force to try to push him toward anything. She saw his lips and licked her lips slowly trying to entice him. She reached up and tried to kiss him, but Heero moved and held her back with minimal force. He chose not to push her. It would only deepen his bad reputation on the ship. Heero looked down at her indifferently and gazed in front of him seeing Duo.

Flay grunted, finding her efforts fruitless. She wrestled and freed her arms giving a distasteful look at Heero. She was extremely angered that nothing she did seemed to work on him. _"What is it with this guy? Is he gay?"_

Duo smiled and laughed "Look at this; while I'm getting food, you're getting some action on the side? Come on now Heero. If I thought it would have been this kind of trip I would have started right when we came on board the Archangel."

Flay stopped and stared at Duo. Her eyes were frozen in shock and embarrassment. She quickly wrapped her arms around Heero's neck trying to make it look like they were doing something. "W-what are you doing here? Can't you see Heero and I are having a private moment?"

Duo looked up laughing out loud. "Oh that's a good one. Girl, if you haven't notice, he isn't interested at all!" Heero forcefully removed her arm and lightly pushed her away. Duo's laughter caused the mechanics to return hastily thinking something had happened that was worth their attention.

Flay froze when she saw all of the mechanics staring at her breasts. She covered herself and ran, crying. _"Darn it, now thanks to those two I'll be…" _She stopped. She couldn't think of herself like that. She couldn't label herself with such a demeaning status.

The mechanics and other crewmembers in the hangar talked about and laughed, wondering how long this went on. Duo approached Heero putting his hand on his shoulder. "Well that was a good laugh after a good dinner. I'd never guess a girl would throw herself at you. I mean you of all people…"

Heero ignored his commented and kept focused. "She's done this to others."

Duo looked at him surprised by his allegation. "Yea, who?"

"Kira."

It took a brief moment for Duo to see the puzzle pieces fitting together. His eyes widened when he realized the true motive behind their relationship. "So she's controlling him."

"Most likely…"

Duo sighed and looked at the path Flay used. "Well being caught like this, hopefully she'll stop. If she doesn't she'd be something like the Slut of the Archangel." Duo smiled and put his hands to his side. "Who knows, maybe I'll be the next one to get some 'action'". He joked.

Heero let himself calm down and chuckled at his remark. The two comrades gave a brief smile before departing ways. Heero headed to the mess hall for a late meal while Duo continued to clean his suit.

* * *

><p>That evening at the Carpentaria base, the three soldiers sat in the lounge room trying to relax. Nicol looked out the window, admiring the sunset and how it shined on the ocean. <em>"The Earth is beautiful. I wish I didn't come here under these circumstances…but I guess it can't be helped. I hope nothing happens to any of us; even our enemies. No one should be taken away from this kind of beauty." <em>Nicol sighed silently watching the sun disappear on the horizon while the others occupied themselves through other means.

Dearka read the battle reports and tried to relax and keep his agitation at a manageable level. He lays back on the couch and propped his feet up. He read the last battle report thinking about how the Delta Two fought. _"That black suit, it seems more like a close combat type of machine. It can't fly either, so that's good. My Buster should have the advantage as long as I can keep it in the air longer than Delta Two." _Dearka sighed, putting the reports on the table and closed his eyes, resting. Dearka eyes were heavy and his thoughts drifted to slumber. He was just about to fall asleep when the sound of constant typing awoke him. He turned his head toward the sound and looked up to see Athrun on the computer.

"Hey, some of us are trying to get some rest you know!"

Athrun glanced at Dearka calmly, "Oh, sorry. I was just going over some data from my fight with the Delta One. I'm just trying to come up with a battle plan to beat those guys." Athrun sighed and resumed his typing. Dearka groaned and got up heading for the door. "Well I'm going to get some shut eye. If anything happens, wake me up."

Athrun and Nicol smiled watching him leave, "Will do." Nicol commented. He looked down at Athrun worriedly. _"I haven't seen you like this, Athrun. You were never one to be violent; only when need be, but here you're devoting all your time to coming up with the right strategy."_ Nicol approached Athrun. "Hey, Athrun?"

Athrun stopped his typing once again and looked up at his longtime friend. "What is it Nicol?"

"I was wondering if you want to join me for dinner. You have been on that laptop ever since we came back from the battle. You must be hungry." He said chuckling.

Athrun hadn't given a single thought to his stomach since they returned. He had gotten out of the Aegis and put his face right in front of the computer. He was so focused on the task at hand, defeating the Delta Units that he forgot about eating or anything other than obtaining victory through the right battle plan. He felt his stomach growling. The sound growled loudly in the room. Athrun chuckled, his face flushed in embarrassment.

"Sounds like you do want some food, let's get going." Nicol said laughing.

Athrun smiled and closed the computer leaving it on the table as he joined Nicol for some supper. The two ate rather quickly, finishing their meal in less than twenty minutes, conversation included. They walked back to the lounge to pick up Athrun's laptop when Dearka stopped them. His face was filled with joy and pain. Nicol smiled at his friend and raised his eyebrow curiously. "Hey Dearka, I thought you were going to sleep."

Dearka sighed and looked at them. "Well I was but I overheard a couple guys talking about Yzak being awake at the Gibraltar base."

Athrun and Nicol's mouths dropped open in shock. "Let's contact him and see how he's doing!" Nicol shouted. The three friends rushed through the hallways, trying to find the nearest available communication device. They saw a group of soldiers crowding around one. Athrun heard Yzak's name called out among the soldiers and rushed into the crowd pushing himself to the front.

"Yzak!" he shouted happily

He looked toward the screen seeing his friend laying the hospital bed grunting at times, but otherwise smiling at him. He wore a hospital gown and still had many tubes and wires going in and out of him, mainly near his left side. The blood was mostly gone, but the bandages remained.

"It's good to see you to…Zala." Yzak struggled to say.

Dearka and Nicol joined Athrun as the three rejoined in seeing their friend and comrade awake and relatively well.

"So how are you feeling?" Nicol asked.

"I'm…alright. Getting through, the morphine helps…" Yzak looked at where his arm used to be. He had a somber look in his eyes. Seeing nothing there seemed too surreal. While he was under, he kept feeling a sensation that he had his arm. But when he awoke, that sensation along with his arm, was gone. He tried to push on and look at his friends with a forceful smile. "So how did you guys do? I heard you were…" he paused and winced in pain. "…on a mission to fight another Delta Unit or something." He completed.

The three looked down disappointingly. Yzak saw the look they gave and yelled, demanding an answer. "Well…?" he stopped and wailed in pain. His body moved slightly when he yelled, and caused an involuntary movement that caused nerves near his wound to become active, sending shockwaves of pain through his body.

"Yzak!" Dearka yelled worriedly.

Yzak jerked about as the pain was too great even with the morphine.

"I knew this was a bad Idea." A voice spoke.

The doctor stepped in front of the communication device and looked at the three. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but his pain's increasing. You'll have to contact him at another time." With that final comment the connection turned off, leaving the three soldiers with a blank black screen.

Dearka growled in anger. "Damn it! Damn it all to Hell!" He slammed his fist down on the flat panel.

Seeing his friend in such pain reminded the three of who caused it. All the anger directed at the Delta Units resurfaced. Athrun narrowed his eyes at the blank screen seeing images of his friend in pain and the Delta One. Athrun forgot all about Delta Two as if it didn't exist in his mind. All he could think about was Delta One. He looked at his teammates with rejuvenated resolve to destroy Delta One. "I don't know about you, but I'm going to do all I can to see that bastard go down, even if I have to end up right next to Yzak in the hospital to do so!" he declared.

Nicol and Dearka agreed eagerly. The three went their separate ways, doing what they could and everything they could to prepare for their next attack on the Legged ship and the Delta Units. Athrun stuck himself back in front of the laptop as he studied the data religiously. Dearka and Nicol tuned their machines trying to get the best response times out of them to combat the enemy. All of them were busy onto the late night. Dearka was first to pass out, giving into his fatigue. Nicol pushed on until 0400. He stopped by Athrun's room seeing him still up and working on the battle plans.

"Athrun, we should get some sleep."

Athrun glared at Nicol angrily. "I'll sleep when I see that suit go down Nicol! You can go rest if you want, but I'm using this time to perfect this mission plan!" he yelled. Athrun's eyes widened when he realized he had yelled at Nicol. He looked down apologetically and spoke. "I'm…sorry."

Nicol was shocked that Athrun would yell at him like that. He stopped at the door looking at his friend worriedly. "I hope once this enemy's gone, you'll go back to the way you were, my friend." He commented silently. Nicol left Athrun alone in the dark. He sighed heavily and returned to his work. Athrun looked at the screen as his eyes moved rapidly seeing the outline of the suits attack and movements as the computer simulated possible strategic maneuvers.

While his friends slept the tiredness away, Athrun worked all night perfecting the plan to destroy Delta One. He completed the plan that dealt with the two Deltas, but there still remained the issue with the ship itself and the Strike. Thinking about Kira seemed to calm him down as he thought about his best friend. _"Why are you with those people, Kira? Can't you see that they're all just murderers?" _Athrun cleared his throat and took a moment to reflect on what he thought. _"Look at me; I'm calling them murderers when here I'm planning their demise. What's wrong me with?" _

The moon shined brightly even with the coming sun. The stars were slowly disappearing one by one, bringing in a new day and new possibilities.

* * *

><p>In the emptiness of space, the stars shined brightly as if it was night time twenty four hours a day. On course toward the PLANTs was a small fighter craft. The small craft was gray in color and seemed very small for a fighter plane. Inside an old man watched as some stars seemed to pass on while others seemed to follow with him to his destination. He stared at one star, finding this start soothing. He turned his attention to the control panel in the cockpit. He sighed heavily moving the controls with little effort. "No point in trying, that man has programmed this ship to such a degree that even I can't crack it."<p>

He glanced back at the thrusters, seeing the apparent glow of the engine. The attachment disconnected hours ago after the fuel ran out. Now the craft ran on its own power. He looked down at the controls and frowned. Nearly all of the buttons and controls were inactive. He couldn't even change the opacity of the screen. The old man looked at the only thing that seemed to change, the timer. The timer was on the right screen on the right corner. He saw the countdown from the moment he launched from Earth. "It's been over twenty hours since the launch and only three more hours until destination…" he said pessimistically. He spends the next two hours resting and sleeping away the hunger he felt.

The old man awoke to the sound of an annoying beep. He looked up to see the timer showing nothing but zeros. He opened his eyes wondering why the timer stopped an hour before. He looked at his own watched to make sure he wasn't going crazy. The time on his watched still had at the very least another fifty minutes until the destination, yet here the timer stopped. He pondered on what caused this when he caught a glimpse of the PLANTs. "My word…" He couldn't believe his eyes. These colonies were humungous; they seemed somewhat larger than the colonies back home. He was astounded by its design and the number of colonies they had. The colonies were shaped like hour glasses. The ends pointed at each other with a small object in the center.

"How many of these do they have?" He questioned.

The old man's body jerked forward when the craft came to a stop. He took a moment to regain his composure as he noticed the function of the controls became active. He took a hold of the main control and tried to move the craft, stomping on the thrust pads. The ship gave no response and beeped three times. The old man gave a glance at the power gauge, noticing the power was too low to go anywhere near the colonies. It seemed as if he would die in this rack sack of a ship. He looked at the oxygen level and estimated what would essentially be his time of death. He gave a light chuckle and closed his eyes. _"If I am to die here then I might as well die in my sleep…"_

The old man drifted off to a deep slumber, unaware that the craft automatically activated a distress signal.

A bright white light surrounded a vast area. A small boy appeared out of thin air. The young boy was dressed in a polo shirt and khaki shorts. The vast blank area soon gave way to a derelict town. The boy looked around confusingly as the sound of shouting and bottles smashing could be heard. He heard the cries and groan of a man. He followed the sounds and found a battered and bloodied man on the ground.

The boy's eyes were opened wide as he rushed to the man. The young boy embraced the man and held him tight. The shadows of the other men surrounded the two as they yelled and talked amongst themselves. The boy stared at those men with dreadful eyes, afraid of what they might do. They group approached them as the man turned over, covering the boy, protecting him. The man's body shook as the boy watched in horror. The man looked at the boy and stared into his eyes.

"Remember this, my child. Peace for the colonies cannot be achieved by words alone. Action must be taken. No one is a true pacifist. These fools that work for him is proof of that. Pacifism is only a fools dream. The world will be at peace once taken by force and maintained by force!" The man coughed a large amount of blood on the young boy. The boy shook in fear glancing down at the blood.

The man dropped lifeless, covering the boy. The young boy's image of his father began to blur as the image of space.

* * *

><p>The old man woke up dazed by what happened. He yawned and looked around. It took him a moment to remember what he dreamed about. "I have never forgotten that day. Those supporters will get what they deserve. They're all imbeciles!" He yelled. The old man coughed. He glanced at the oxygen level and noticed it was very low. <em>"Only an hour or two left…"<em>

He heard the sound of a light beep that was more constant, beeping every five seconds. He looked around checking the fighter, searching for the source when he saw slight movement out in space. "Hm?"

Appearing in front of the ship was a dark brown colored mobile suit. It sported areas of yellow and had a disk like object on its left shoulder. The suit had one eye that moved around rapidly. The old man looked on with extreme fascination at this machine. He tried to keep his words to a minimum to conserve air. The mobile suit hovered in front of the ship and began flashing its lights sending a message to the old man. The old man was beginning to lose his coherency but managed to send a message back verbally.

"I'm low on oxygen. Please assist this old man in need." He said in a raspy voice.

The two pilots discuss what they should do in this situation. One pilot wore a red pilot suit. He had the facial features of a seasoned soldier, confident, strong, and powerful. The other pilot a green pilot suit and seemed nervous. "So what should we do?" the young pilot asked.

"Well isn't it obvious? We rescue the old man! We aren't like those stinking Naturals who leave people out to die. For all we know he could be our coordinator brethren"

"All right, I guess." The young soldier turned on the vocal communications. "Can you get out of the ship and into the GINN's hand?"

The old man looked at the suit confusingly. _"GINN?"_ He cleared his throat and replied quickly. "No, I was forced into this aircraft without a space suit; the craft itself is the only thing keeping me alive…until my air runs out."

Both pilots groaned. The Ginn grabbed a hold of the fighter craft and headed back to their ship.

* * *

><p>Once on the ship the old man came out of the craft seeing multiple guns aimed at him. He smiled finding this to be not so much of a surprised. He didn't care. He took a deep breath, happy to be alive. He looked at a man approaching him wearing a black uniform for a military he had never seen before. The two soldiers stood by their machines and approached this man.<p>

"Captain, we searched the distress signal and found this old man in the fighter craft. The craft itself doesn't seem to have any armaments." The older soldier explained.

"The design doesn't fit any known military group present." The younger added.

The Captain nodded and waved his hand sending them off. He looked at this old man curiously. "Sir, which colony do you live in? We'll be happy to escort you back."

The old man gave a discerning look toward the Captain. "The thing is, Captain. I didn't come from any of the PLANTs. I came forcefully from Earth."

The Zaft soldiers aimed their rifles at the old man, assuming him to be a natural working for the Alliance. The captain waved his hand and calmed them. "I see. Are you a part of any military?" he asked the old man.

The old man shook his head.

The captain let his guard down seeing the old man as no sort of threat. _"Just my luck to run into an old geezer trapped out in space…"_ He sighed and thought about what to do next. "For now we'll keep you locked up in a spare room. Now, are you a Natural or Coordinator?" the Captain questioned.

The old man made note of the mention of naturals and coordinators. He smiled and shook his head. "I've no clue what you mean by Naturals and Coordinators…"

The Captain looked at the old man, shocked that he said such a thing. _"Must be a senile old fool…I guess I've no choice."_ The Captain sighed and looked at him, "Well to put it simply, Naturals are those born without alterations to their body or genes. Coordinators are those who did."

The old man smiled hearing this simple explanation. It was more than enough for him. The old man took note of how the Captain's voice sounded when he mentioned Naturals. He looked around and wondered if this was a ship of Coordinators or Naturals. He looked at all the suits in the hangar and saw the complexity of the machines. He smiled and answered the Captains question, "Well, I have had my body and genes altered. So I guess I'm a Coordinator?" he questioned. The soldiers seemed to calm down and loosen their grip on their rifles. The Captain nodded and motioned his hand. Two officers lead the old man to his room. The captain stopped them momentarily and asked for the old man's name. The old man smiled "My name is Dr. Yagami."

The Captain was taken aback by the old man's status, wondering what kind of doctor he was.

The old man entered the room and smiled noticing a computer as part of his accommodations. "Now I'll see what this world is all about!"

* * *

><p>Back down on earth, the Archangel continued on its course to Alaska smoothly. The day seemed like one of those rare calm days that didn't show any signs of trouble. The officers and crewmen were allowed time above deck once more to relax and blow off some stream due to their long confinement on the ship. Each crew member took their turns until it was Heero's. The image of Kira's face still lingered in everyone's memory, causing a mass fear towards Heero.<p>

Heero stood by the railing enjoying the breeze as he let go of his cold demeanor for just a slight moment and enjoyed this moment of just being a normal person. He let out a loud laugh that seemed unnatural for someone like him. He stopped this joyous moment and returned to his serious personality, thinking about what his path was in this world. _"Zero hasn't shown me anything in the latest battles…"_ He stood silently wondering what it would take for the system to show him his next course to achieving the future he desired.

The door opened and Cagalli came out. She was one of the few people onboard the Archangel who wasn't afraid of Heero despite what he did. Cagalli stood absentmindedly while the she gazed at the moving waters. She looked around noticing the waters too well. "We're only a few hours away from the boarder at this speed…" She let out a sigh as she looked around the top deck. She noticed Heero standing by the railing and decided to join him. Cagalli stood next to him and looked at Heero.

"Mind if I join you? Word around the ship says you'd punch anyone just for kicks." She commented.

Heero looked at her narrowing his eyes.

Cagalli forced herself to laugh as she waved her hands up defensively. "Well that's what they say, but you have your reasons I guess." She sighed when she saw Heero changing his gaze elsewhere.

She looked at him wondering why he punched Kira. "So why punch him?" She asked. Her body was tense and tightening up, ready to run if Heero were to try to attack her. She knew she couldn't fight him, he was too skilled.

"It's between me and him."

Seeing her questions about his motives ignored, she dropped it. She gazed out to the ocean and thought about ORB. She sighed lightly and spoke again, asking Heero another question. "Hey Heero, if you had some secret that could be used to help the people you care about…would you reveal that secret?"

Heero crossed his arms and looked at her. He thought for a quick moment before replying. The only advice he had to someone who was indecisive in life was to act on his or her emotions. He had lived that way nearly all his life and he didn't know how else to live. "Your choice is your own; let your emotions guide you on whether to reveal your secret or not to. Act on your emotions."

Cagalli was surprised by his advice at first, thinking it would actually work. She shook her head realizing it was a stupid idea. "How can you give such an irresponsible advice, acting on your emotions in war can get you killed and don't forget your actions don't affect just you! There are others that would become sad or made if you died!"

Heero looked at her surprised by her words. She made a valid argument. Through the course of the Eves War he had encountered multiple people that gave some new meaning in his life, in some way. He sighed and stuck to the way of life he knew best: acting on his emotions. Heero looked at her and closed his eyes, scoffing, smiling slightly at her argument. "You've a point, but it's up to you to live your life, not up to others around you. They may influence you, but when the time comes, it's you that makes the decision. So decide with your emotions."

Heero heard the door open and saw Kira standing by the door, glaring at him. Cagalli tried to tell him why she asked him this question, but noticed Kira and held her tongue. She stayed there and watched as the two stared at each other. The tension in the air was thin. She was afraid to utter one word. Kira stopped looking at Heero seriously. He glanced at Cagalli. "Please leave. There won't be any more fights, I promise you…" Kira's tone was dead serious. It was serious enough to get Cagalli out of the area.

She stood by the door and tried to listen to the two's conversation.

* * *

><p>Kira and Heero remained quiet for nearly thirty minutes. Cagalli gave up on waiting as she left, hoping they wouldn't do anything stupid.<p>

After a long moment of silence Kira spoke. "How did you know?" he questioned.

Heero kept his serious stare toward Kira. "I didn't. But anyone who stops attacking their enemy has few reasons to. One of the main reasons would be that they know the person behind the cockpit." Kira gave a heavy sigh and nodded, seeing it pointless to hide it since Heero figured it out. "I just don't want to fight him. He's been my best friend for so long…and now we're enemies? I just don't know what path I should take."

Heero listened to the young pilot's troubles. He remembered back in the war where he questioned his path. It wasn't until he found his resolve through Wing Zero and the ZERO system that he saw his future would not end as abruptly as he previously thought. He found his path for the war and now he continued to fight to find his path in this war. Heero had a small thought of lending Kira a modified ZERO system, but pushed that thought aside. _"He'd be more trouble under ZERO's influence with that conflicted mind."_

Heero looked at him seriously and gives the young soldier a serious tone of advice. "What's happened has happened. You can't change the past, what you need to do now is fight to find your path and your future."

Kira looked at him confusingly. On one end it seemed like Heero understood his conflicted state of mind, and yet what Heero said was so confusing to him. "But how do I do that?" Kira remembered Flay's suggestion for piloting Heero's suit. "What if I used your suit? If I had more power maybe I could end the fighting."

Heero looked at him knowing the look of bewilderment. He remained calm and knew his words would further confuse the boy but it was his life and his path. All he could do for Kira was give him the same advice he was taught.

"You got that idea from the red-haired girl? Forget about it. The amount of power isn't always important in a battle it's how you use it. No one likes wars Kira. But without war, humanity would never change. Once all battles are finished and all enemies eliminated then there can be a period of peace, and in that peace, comes change."

Kira looked at him astounded. Kira thought about Heero's words, having trouble to agree and understand that change and peace were brought out by war. Heero looked at him calmly. "Leave your emotions for this person you know out of the battlefield and fight him with all you got, don't hold back. If you hold back you'll die along with everyone else." Heero walked away heading toward the door.

Kira was beyond confused, his mind couldn't understand the significant meaning behind Heero's words about a path, and now he had to consider fighting Athrun and killing him? He couldn't do that. "But I—"

Heero looked at him one last time. "If there's anything you should remember from this. It's that a new era of peace isn't forged by the bloodshed and weapons alone. It's made by the people wielding their weapons and their desire for a peaceful world." The door closed, leaving Kira alone thinking about everything Heero said.

He looked out to the sea, wondering when he would see his friend again. _"Is the only way to end this war really to destroy all your enemies? I understand now that it is us that makes the world a peaceful place, but I don't know if I can keep fighting like this! There has to be another way to achieve peace without killing!"_

* * *

><p>On route toward the Archangel were three Vosgulov class ships. Inside the launch ports, the three G-weapons stood ready for combat. Nicol typed on the suits' keyboard making sure everything was set and there were no faults on the system. Dearka did the same to his machine as he kept thinking about the Legged ship's destruction and personally destroying Delta One. Athrun seemed the most anxious of the three. He had barely slept. He was running on less than four hours of sleep and many cups of coffee. He looked over the battle plans and smiled, satisfied with the plan. He sends the plan to all the ships and suits.<p>

Nicol smiled as he reviewed the plan. "So that's why you wanted three ships and our units on the separate ships."

Dearka grinned when he noticed his roles in the battle. "I got to say Athrun you are one crazy leader; crazy, but good."

Athrun smiled and concentrated, using the adrenaline that rushed through his body, using it to keep him up and alert. He looked at the signal on his cockpit as the ships surfaced, setting the suits up to launch. "You guys know the plan, stick to it and we'll see that ship sink down!" The hatch opens as the three G-weapons flew out. Guuls launched to aid their movement in the atmosphere. After their launch, multiple Dinns launched and followed them grouping themselves with each G-weapon, like soldiers following their general.

Down below a group of Goohns launched and headed toward the ship through the sea. Their eyes moving quickly as the pilots felt confident that the plan of attack would succeed. The underwater units darted through the water at break-neck speeds, getting ahead of the troops above.

* * *

><p>Back on the Archangel it was late in the afternoon. The sun was high in the sky and the heat was too unbearable to enjoy being outside. It seemed as though today would be another lucky day. So far there were no battles or objects approaching their ship minus the occasional fish. Murrue smiled happily, pleased that things went so smoothly.<p>

In the hangar Duo and Heero spoke while Duo finished up cleaning Deathscythe. Duo stopped his drying and put the cloth over his right shoulder. "So how did the kid take the hit?" He wondered how Kira adapted after having the truth shoved into his face like that. He sighed wondering if he should have told Kira the hard truth. Heero remained quiet as ever as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes, leaning on Wing Zero.

Duo jumps down and sighed, "I should be used to your silent no speak attitude, but I wonder why I'm not." He got into Heero's face and screamed. "I'll tell you why it's just not natural!" Duo sighed when he noticed his attempts to change Heero's face turned up fruitless. Duo hung the cloth to dry and thought about having some alone time up at the top deck. Just when Duo was about to call it a good maintenance day, the alarm goes off. Duo stopped in his track and groaned. "Why do I have to be the most unlucky guy…?"

* * *

><p>In the bridge, the sensors detect multiple signatures of Zaft's underwater mobile suits. Murrue narrowed her eyes. Normally she was relieved to hear only about a few units but something in her gut told her that this battle would be much worse. Badgiruel smirked and suggests just launching two mobile suits. Murrue glared down at her seriously. "No, wait. It can't be just these underwater forces!"<p>

Just when she finished her sentence another sensor alarm went off, detecting mobile suits in the air. The data and information on the arriving suits appeared on the screens. "It's the Aegis, Blitz, and Buster…no, not just them. There's Dinn's too!"

"How many?" Badgiruel asked.

The soldier checks the radar and gasped. "This can't be!"

"How many?" Murrue demanded

"There's a total of thirty-six Dinns along with the G-weapons!"

"Thirty-six? Add in the underwater forces and we're dealing with…Forty-five units!" Badgiruel concluded

Murrue narrowed her eyes and called for level two battle stations, "_We don't have enough ammunition to handle forty-five units…but…"_ she grunted realizing she'd rely heavily on Duo and Heero's aid. "Prepare for anti-air, anti-mobile, and underwater combat!"

* * *

><p>Inside the hangar the once slow paced room seemed to bustle with life. Duo sat in the Deathscythe's cockpit and complained. "I just dried you off and now I got to dive under again?" he sighed and moved the enemy report out of his face. The suit's cockpit closed as the green eyes glowed with life.<p>

Heero rushed to his machine and caught a glimpse of Kira headed to the Strike. The two stopped at their machines, standing on the cockpit hatch staring at one another for a moment. They boarded their machines and prepared to launch.

Down below Cagalli tried to get to the extra Skygrasper but Murdoch stopped her once again. She growled angrily at him yelling at him trying to reason with him. "Look I'm sorry I got hit last time but won't happen again! And besides, the only thing that got hit was the engines and Navigation, right?"

Murdoch sighed as he looked at the machine. "I would but—"

"Just let her go, we got forty five units headed our way and the more help the better." Mu commented.

Murdoch looked back at him and glanced back at Cagalli seeing her already headed for the Skygrasper. He sighed and rubbed his head. "If we live through this I'm going to get another report from Badgiruel…"

Mu laughed. "That's why? Look I'll back you up, if we survive. Now load me, up."

"Right,"

* * *

><p>The three suits began their attack, firing at the ship. The Aegis fired is rifles at the Archangel's turrets and machine cannons, trying to disarm the ship so they would have few reasons to stop their attack. The Aegis' group of Dinn's followed suit and fired at the ships weapons. Their torrents of bullets smashed into the Archangel's armor and weapons. Athrun looked at the ship with vengeful eyes. He thought about Le Creuset's words about the ship being a thorn at their side. "You are a thorn at our side, and your annoyance has grown since the day you chose to harbor those units. Fall! "Athrun maneuvered the Aegis around dodging some of the remaining turrets. The Aegis closed it and fired a couple shots at the bow.<p>

The ship shook violently from the hits. Murrue looked up seeing the Aegis firing at their front. "Evade!" she ordered.

Arthur tried his best to move the ship away, avoiding the shots.

Badgiruel grunted and yelled out the next sequence of commands. "Fire the valiants and wombats, give the mobile suits cover as they launch!"

* * *

><p>The launch hatch opens revealing a smoking sky filled with explosions. Heero and Duo launched first, jumping off of the edge and entered the fray. Wing Zero transformed into its Neo-bird mode and flew off searching and destroying the enemy units. Deathscythe's thrusters burned as it rose up landing ont the ship as it fired its Vulcans and waited for other units to come closer. Duo grunted, annoyed at his machines limitation. "Darn it, I hate to say this to you partner, but I wish you had your wings…!"<p>

The two Skygrasper units launched easily. Unit One piloted by Mu was equipped with the Launcher pack while Unit two, piloted by Cagalli was equipped with the Sword Striker pack. The two fighter crafts flew at great speeds trying to deal with the Aegis' group of Dinns. Athrun looked about searching for the Delta One unit. His eyes locked onto the suit like a lion stalking its prey. "There you are! Dearka now!"

The Buster appeared on Wing Zero's right. The cannons flipped under the suits arm and took aim at the enemy. Dearka grinned as he looked at the suit through the cross-hairs. "This time, you won't come out of this alive!" Dearka pulled on the trigger firing the cannons. Two distinct beams launched toward Delta One.

Heero noticed the shots coming through and moved the controls, flipping the suit over and dodged the beams. The suit 'lied' with its bottom facing up. The beams passed under the suit harmlessly. Heero pushed the controls further, causing the suit to increase its acceleration. Heero performed a turn around and aimed at the Buster. Heero locked onto the Buster's as the beam at the tip of the rifles charged.

Athrun saw the beams charging in and knew from the reports that he had a small window of opportunity. _"I've only seconds to do this!"_ The Aegis flew in under Delta One. It looked up and ascended up at great speed. It held its shield up and rammed into Delta One.

Heero was about to pull the trigger when the lower sensors blared. His body fell back as the suit was hit. It tilted back slightly, lying on its 'back'. Heero notice a group of suits and pulled the trigger. The two yellow beams rushed toward the units. The beam passed in between four units. The beams destroyed them easily, causing massive explosion chains throughout the four units. Heero let out a small, brief grunt before flipping the transformation switch. The feet extend out and the lower half rotated. The shield disconnected and reconnected to its left arm. The wings folded in concealing the extra thrusters.

Athrun acted hastily and ordered all his troops to fire. He watched as the Delta One continued its transformation without pause, the beams and rounds virtually doing nothing to halt its transformation. Heero held onto the controls tightly. Even though gundanium was a resilient armor, it didn't help with the shaking one bit. Athrun grunted and narrowed his eyes. _"That armor's tougher than I thought."_ He glanced over toward Dearka as the Buster gave a nod and proceeded on towards the Archangel.

Athrun looked at the machine with hateful eyes. Smoke surrounded the suit from the impact of the mobile suits' attack, but the armor didn't even get a heavy scratch. "_That's one plan out the window…"_ The Aegis placed its shield on one of its skirt armors and a beam ignited. With sword and rifle in hand, the suit dashed toward Delta One. Athrun widened his eyes as he stared at the suit angrily.

* * *

><p>In the Archangel, the Strike prepared to launch, armed with its Aile striker pack. Miriallia's voice was heard over the intercom. "Strike, course is clear."<p>

Kira held onto the controls tightly. He stared at the indicator with the utmost attention. Heero's words repeated in his mind as he thought of engaging his friend. He sighed heavily as the indicator gave an OK for launch. The Strike flew out into the sky, its wings spread out as the Phase shift armor activated. Kira glanced up and saw the Buster closing in on the Archangel. The strike moved back and fired its rifle at the same time. The shots were dodged easily by the Buster with the aid of the Guul.

The Strike landed on the ship next to the Deathscythe. Duo stopped firing the Deathscythe's Vulcans and smiled. "Alright, glad you could make it! Now, let's send them to Hell!" The two suits continued their attack on the Dinns. The large group of nearly twenty Dinns surrounded them. The suits stopped when the ship was hit from below.

Inside the bridge everyone held onto their seats waiting for the shaking to subside. Murrue looked toward Sai for enemy confirmation. "Where's the attack coming from?"

Sai looked at the radar searching for signs of nearby enemies. "It's the Goohns; they're firing at us from below. They're nearing the engines!"

"Leave that to me!" Duo yelled out. "I'm leaving these guys to you, kid!"

The Deathscythe jumped up and stepped on one of the Dinns. It jumped toward another Dinn. The beam ignited as the green beam curved taking shape. The Deathscythe held the scythe with both hands and swung the weapon horizontally destroying two suits in one hit. Duo looked up seeing the Buster in a vulnerable position after it fired its cannons. He grinned and stomped on the thrust pads.

The Deathscythe flew up and raised its scythe in glory before swinging it down on the Buster. Dearka dodged the swing and moved away aiming at the Deathscythe. He smiled seeing the suit using its thrusters. "Wish you had one of these don't you?" Dearka yelled. The Buster fired its cannons at the Delta Two.

The Deathscythe raised its buster shield up and defended itself against the blasts. Duo yelled back and fired the Buster Shield, The fangs opened as the beam ignited. The shield launched out just before the Deathscythe dropped into the ocean. Dearka moved the Buster out of the way using the Guul. The shield missed its target and slammed into a Dinn instead. Dearka smiled looking down at the large splash of water the Delta Two caused. "You won't get me with that—huh?"

A green beam pierced the Guul from behind. Dearka grunted angrily and moved the Buster out of the way. The suit turned around seeing the Strike firing its rifle. Kira narrowed his eyes looking at the Buster through the lock on device. "Come on, give up already!"

Dearka gritted his teeth together and flew in trying to get a close shot at the Strike. Kira looked at him curiously, questioning his actions. "Is he trying to come on board?" He narrowed his eyes and acted quickly. Their forces were dropping quickly, but there were still too many suits in the battlefield. Kira didn't want to but he had to try harder if it meant defending the ship and his friends successfully.

The Strike dropped its rifle and rushed up into the sky to intercept the Buster. The Buster held its cannons out and fired its cannons and missiles at the Strike and the Legged ship. "You guys are going down!" The Strike held up its shield blocking the Buster's attack. The Buster slowed down its descent and waited for the smoke to clear. "Come on show your face!"

Dearka's eyes widened when the Strike came bursting out of the smoke pulling its saber out. Dearka moved the controls, causing the Buster to hold up its arm up defensively. The saber sliced through the suit like butter, slicing off the suit's forearm. The Strike flew above the Buster and used the side of its shield to push the suit down toward the ocean. The Buster was static in the air as it dropped. Kira looked up seeing multiple Dinns. He calculated the momentum and how much he'd rely on his thrusters. He sighed and used the Buster as a jumping point. The Strike stomped on the suit, hastening its descent. Dearka cried out as his suit headed toward the sea.

The Strike proceeded, destroying two Dinns before landing back on the Archangel. It grabbed its rifle and continued firing at the Dinns once more.

* * *

><p>Inside the Bridge the crew continued to withstand the shaking and onslaught of endless bullets and missiles from the enemy. Badgiruel looked over toward one of the soldiers. "What's the status of our forces?"<p>

"Ma'am, the Wing Zero is engaging the Aegis, the Deathscythe is in pursuit of the Goohns, and The Strike and the Skygraspers are providing support!"

Badgiruel narrowed her eyes. She looked up at the Captain worriedly. "Captain!"

"I know. The Blitz is still out there somewhere…" She closed her eyes and yelled when the ship was hit once more. She looked at the soldier trying to find out where the shot came from.

"Engines two and three have been hit!"

"What?"

"It's the Blitz! It's attacking us from behind!"

* * *

><p>The Deathscythe finished its destruction of the Goohns easily. Hiding in the dark waters and sneaking up on them. Duo smiled at his quick job. He rubbed his nose soothing a minor itch when he heard multiple explosions coming from the Surface. "Huh?"<p>

He saw engine pieces falling to the ocean one by one. The sensors zoomed in on the pieces. Duo's eyes widened as he looked up. "How did they get past us like that?" Duo hit the right panel in anger. The Deathscythe looked up and searched for the suit responsible. Duo narrowed his eyes at the suit and smiled. "Well then, Mr. Blitz. It's time you met the God of Death!" The Deathscythe moved under the water quietly as possible. Duo activated the suits hyper jammers, making sure that his sneak attack would result in a clean kill.

* * *

><p>Up above, the Blitz fired its rifle and Vulcans at the ship. Nicol smiled happily. "The plan worked! With those guys so busy over the massive amount of Dinns they forgot to keep an eye on the Blitz; giving me the chance for a sneak attack!" The Blitz stretched its right arm out and fired its rifle at the ship.<p>

The few Dinns that followed it fired their assault rifles, aiming to take the ship down.

The ship was smoking from behind, the engines were starting to give and soon the ship would become nothing more than a free kill for Zaft. Nicol smiled and prepared to give the final strike. The Blitz aimed its darts at the ship and prepared to fire. "With this last attack you'll be gone and soon, Athrun will be back to normal!"

The Blitz prepared to fire when a blue anchor latched onto its arm. "What the?" Nicol watched as the second Skygrasper flew in trying to slice the Blitz apart.

Cagalli stared at the Blitz angrily. "No you don't!

The sword fell down as the beam ignited. The Skygrasper closed in on the Blitz and prepared to strike. Nicol pulled on the line and tried to bring the craft closer for a direct hit. Cagalli yelled out as the Skygrasper was rushing down forcefully toward the Blitz.

"Like hell you will!" Duo shouted

The Deathscythe bursts up from the sea and raised its scythe, swinging it down toward the line. It sliced the Blitz's Trikeros offensive/defensive attachment in half, separating its hold on Cagalli's Skygrasper. Nicol stared at this suit in shock, surprised by its sudden appearance. "What the? Where the hell did you come from?" Nicol watched as the Deathscythe rammed into the Blitz using the shoulder thruster to aid the force upon impact. Nicol yelled as his suit headed toward the water, but was caught by Dinns and escorted out of the battle.

Duo watched as the suits left, keeping an eye on them. He glanced down at the Guul and smiled. "Well they're not wings, but they'll do just fine." He smirks as the Deathscythe held its weapon with both hands. It forcefully locked its foot into the Guul. "Now, let's do what we do best, old buddy. Slice, Dice, and send them a one way ticket to the grave!"

Duo pushed on and began adding Mu with the remaining Dinns. Duo took a glance at the Archangel. "Man, that thing's probably seen better days…" The once white ship gave way to a burn color. Despite the Dinn's fighting power, their large number caused a great achievement in damaging the Archangel. It seemed like the ship sailed through a sea of flames that cooked it well-done.

Cagalli flew about trying to regain control of the ship before returning to the battlefield. She caught a glimpse of a large frigate. She noticed the designs of the ship and sighed worriedly. "Oh great…"

Cagalli hovered in the sky watching the fleet come closer and closer toward the battle.

* * *

><p>The Wing Zero broke its clash with the Aegis. It moved quickly toward the Dinns taking them out slowly one by one while it fought the Aegis. Athrun narrowed his eyes looking at all his forces slowly diminishing one by one. Athrun was shocked to see the suit keeping up with everything he put against it. "What is that mobile suit, a monster?" he questioned. "It's like he's not even trying!"<p>

Wing Zero spun slashing at two units destroying them with ease. Three Dinns remained from the original twelve that accompanied Athrun. Athrun grunted and yelled. The Aegis charged in and clashed with the Delta One. Their sabers clashed at multiple angles and directions. Up, down, and at an angle. It seemed like Athrun would never get a hit on Delta One. The two suits swung their swords once more, resulting in a saber lock. Athrun yelled commanding the remaining Dinns.

The mobile suits fired their rifles at the Delta One's thrusters, aiming to disable it, hoping to assist their commander.

Heero lightly grunted in annoyance and pushed the Aegis away. He spun the Wing Zero around and destroyed the remaining suits. Athrun gritted his teeth in anger. The Aegis dropped its rifle and dashed at Delta One with both sabers ignited. Heero detected the rear attack and reacted quickly spinning Zero around again. Wing Zero used its shield as a blunt object striking the Aegis' right arm away, preventing its attack. Athrun yelled and used the other saber stabbing it toward the Delta One's center, targeting the sphere.

"Too slow!" He yelled. The Wing Zero turned to the side, dodging the strike went right by the sphere. It attacked and stabbed using the saber multiple times. The attack resembled a fencing maneuver; taking quick shots at the enemy before pulling the weapon back. The saber hit the Aegis' armor turning it to nothing quickly. Athrun pulled back just in the nick of time. The Aegis stood a crumbled mess of a suit after Delta One's attack. Holes littered about on the frame and armor. Some ligaments were barely hanging on.

Athrun narrowed his eyes as he thought of what to do next. His cameras caught a glimpse of the Orb fleet. The Orb fleet neared their battle and stopped on the borderline. "_Darn it, the Orb Fleet!. This just got a whole lot worse. We've lost too many forces. I doubt we'd be able to continue any longer…"_

Heero looked at the fleet with cold eyes, unaware of what the ships planned to do.

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><p>The Orb fleet stopped and opened an open channel to all forces. "This is a warning to Earth forces ship and all fighting forces in the vicinity."<p>

Everyone stopped fighting for a brief moment as they listened to the announcement.

"You are currently approaching Orb Union Territory. Alter your course at once! In defense of our Neutrality, we strictly prohibit all armed ships, aircraft, and mobile suits from entering our waters. Turn your forces at once!"

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><p>Murrue looked at the Orb Fleet carefully watching them as she tried to figure out the best course of action for the ship.<p>

Heero watched the fleet carefully. Wing Zero hovered as it stared at the fleet. Heero understood their motives for appearing out here in the battlefield to defend their right to peace, but he felt something of greater importance behind their appearance. "Hmm…"

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><p><strong>Read and Review.<strong>


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Friends and Enemies

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Wing. The oc that shows up is mine.

**Author's note:** Thank you all for those who have reviewed, I enjoy your input and I admit some of them have given me some ideas to add on or adapt for this fic. This update has been long overdue simply because of procrastination coupled with writers block. Anyway, please continue reading and reviewing. Enjoy.

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><p>The battle and bombardment of fire stopped momentarily when the Orb fleet came into the fight, stopping on the boundary line. The fleet gave a warning to all forces: leave or be shot down. The battlefield was tense and suffocating. No one seemed to move an inch. Heero looked at the line of ships, calculating their fighting forces. The many slim dark gray ships were foreign to him. Heero turned Wing Zero around and used the search eye to scan the ships, determining its fighting capabilities. The small screen on top of the front controls displayed the ship's make and outline, detailing its internal weapons.<p>

Heero scanned over the data provided from the search eye. He looked at the massive fleet and glanced toward the Archangel and all of their other forces. _"The ships themselves aren't that heavily armed, but due to their number, it could be a problem. In its current condition the Archangel doesn't have many options."_ Heero narrowed his eyes, tightening his hold on the controls of his machine.

The Aegis hovered moving back and forth slightly using the Guul to keep itself in the air. The suit was barely standing. Delta One's attack had created multiple gashes in its armor. Holes were littered throughout the frame. Athrun breathed heavily growing exhausted from the battle. He glanced over toward the Legged ship, looking at all of the remaining forces. He zoomed in seeing the Skygrasper and Delta Two hovering near the ship. The sensors zoomed in on the Delta Two and the Guul it stood upon. Athrun gritted his teeth in anger and grunted. _"So Nicol was unable to finish off the engines, great…"_ Athrun took a moment to consider his options. He looked around the battlefield noticing everyone was still, their attention in the palm of the Orb Fleet.

He glanced down at the power gauge seeing the indicator below the halfway mark. The once white bar turned yellow, warning Athrun of the energy level that remained in the Aegis. He checked the suits frame and considered his options. "The only real choice I have now is to retreat…but…" Athrun thought about Yzak's condition. What kind of friend would he be if he didn't try his absolute best? He sighed heavily. He stared at the ship with great resolve. _"If that's my only option, then so be it!"_

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><p>Cagalli sat in the Skygrasper, looking at the Fleet with worrisome eyes. <em>"What can I do? There's no time to go back to the Archangel and convince them to go through. And if I go at the fleet I'll be shot!" <em>She grunted not knowing what she wanted to do. Cagalli slammed her fist on the panel angrily as she began to tear up. "Damn it!" She felt so helpless. She closed her eyes giving up hope that they would ever get out of here alive._ "There has to be something!" _She opened her eyes remembering Heero's words of advice. Cagalli grunted angrily and yelled. The Skygrasper flew into the frigate. Everyone was shocked to see out of all the machines present, she was the one to move.

Murrue watched in disbelief. Murrue's heart went into overdrive. Her extremities began to shake and numb as she wondered what result would come out of Cagalli's foolish action. "What in the world is that girl doing? Someone stop her!"

Mu and Duo watched her fly to her death. Both suits broke from their battles with the remaining Dinns, putting everything else aside.

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><p>The small front screen changed on Zero's cockpit, displaying Cagalli's action. Heero looked at the screen surprised by her actions. <em>"What the Hell is she doing?"<em> Heero's brief moment of shock subsided as he regained his collective demeanor. He focused on the battle at hand. He didn't have the time to worry about others. This was one of the main reasons why he chose to fight alone in the past. They would only get in his way and cause his focus to blur and, in battle, that was nearly a death sentence.

Athrun grew more agitated by the minute. He made his resolve to proceed with his next attack but without enough power and the condition the suit was in, it seemed impossible to pull off. Athrun glanced over toward the ship. _"As long as that ship goes down…"_

Noticing that Delta One's attention seemed to be focused elsewhere for the moment, Athrun acted quickly. The Aegis proceeded toward the Legged ship at a quick pace.

Heero noticed Aegis' movement and countered accordingly. Wing Zero's binders opened revealing its thrusters as it took off, chasing down the Aegis. Heero kept his focus on the Aegis, blocking everything else out of his mind. As Wing Zero pursued Aegis, Heero's eyes widened as he felt Zero's presence in his mind once again. Visions of Kira's innocent eyes flash before his, causing him to slow down slightly.

"What are you trying to tell me, Zero…?"

Heero sighed and gave his action a second thought. He realized what he was turning into or rather, reverting to. He continued his pursuit once again, proceeding at a slower speed. Despite his slow speed, Heero manage to close in towards the Aegis, leaving only few meters between them.

Athrun glanced back, seeing Delta One closing in on his unit. _"That thing's fast as Hell too, damn!"_ It didn't seem it'd take the Delta One much longer to catch up to the Aegis. Athrun stared at the Legged ship like a runner seeing the finish line. _"If I can hold him off for just a few seconds and avoid his long ranged attacks…"_ He quickly thought of another tactic to slow down Delta One. Athrun gave little thought about the negative side of this tactic and acted solely on the adrenaline and drive to win at all costs. He opened a com-link to all of the remaining Dinns.

"All forces direct your attack on the Delta One, leave the ship to me!"

Nearly all of the Dinn pilots stopped and remained static. The pilots were silenced and confused by Athrun's command. Most of them knew they couldn't handle the Delta One. If a red coat had a trouble against the unit, how could they, green coat pilots make any difference? They were being sent to their deaths. One of the pilots gritted his teeth in anger.

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in the Zala family; all they want is what they believe is best…" The soldier sighed and looked at the coming Delta One. One of the Dinns charged in at the Delta One. Moved by their fellow pilot, the others followed suit. The remaining group of Dinns flew toward the Delta One passing by the Aegis.

Kira watched as the suits left the Archangel. He felt a great sense of relief, assuming they had chosen to retreat. His brief moment of calm ended when he noticed an object approaching the ship. Kira narrowed his eyes and sighed. Each battle caused him a greater sense of sadness that kept piling on top of each other. _"When will to fighting end!"_ The Strike stood ready as it aimed at the object waiting for it to get in range of its sight and rifles' beam.

With each passing Dinn, Athrun's heart pounded furiously. His skin froze as goose bumps rose all over his arms and neck. He avoided direct eye contact with the suits the best he could. His heart sank as he watched the last Dinn pass by. He stared blankly at the front screen, troubled by what he did. _"I…I…" _He shook his head and looked down at the Legged ship. _"I can't think that way, if we can take down the ship then that'll be a victory for Zaft…one that they'll never forget."_ His hands tightened around the controls as the sensors displayed the Strike.

"Kira…"

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><p>Back in the Archangel's bridge, the stress seemed to wrap around everyone's throat like a tight sweater. All the soldiers were silent and nervous. Murrue looked around cautiously. There was so much going on at once. Everything seemed too chaotic. Cagalli's action threw them in a precarious situation.<p>

Murrue glanced down to one of the soldiers on the lower level. "What's the situation with our forces?"

The soldier looked at her with a dazing blank look, staring at her with confused eyes.

"Answer me!" she yelled.

The soldier snapped back to reality as he blinked a few times and looked at the screen.

"Wing Zero is engaging the remaining Dinns, Deathscythe and Commander La Flaga's Skygrasper is still on course to intercepting the girls' unit, and…"

"What is it?" Badgiruel asked

"The Aegis is headed straight for us!"

"Take evasive action! Shoot it down!" Murrue ordered. The Archangel turned and aimed all of its remaining weapons at the Aegis and fired.

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><p>Wing Zero slowed down as the group of Dinns approached. Heero narrowed his eyes. The Dinns aimed their assault rifles and fired at Delta One. Wing Zero flew about gracefully as it moved side to side spinning and dodging the bullet streams. Heero looked at all of the enemy units with a heavy heart. Despite the pain he felt in his heart he pushed those emotions aside and counter-attacked mercilessly.<p>

"If you're so eager to die, I'll be happy to oblige you." Heero stated coldly.

Wing Zero dashed toward one Dinn and sliced it in two. It quickly rotated and pressed the twin buster rifle into the torso of another unit. The rifle fired, unleashing a burst shot that rammed a hole through the torso destroying the unit.

Wing Zero stopped momentarily. Heero glanced over toward the Aegis. The sensors brought up an image of the Strike. "Hmm…" Two Dinns tried to attack Heero from behind during his small blanking moment. Heero narrowed his eyes as The Wing Zero resumed its attack as it slashed through the two units.

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><p>The Strike's cameras zoomed in on the incoming object. His eyes widened at the sight of the Aegis' nearly destroyed state. Kira couldn't believe his eyes. He watched as the suit dodged the storm of bullets and beams fired by the Archangel.<p>

"Athrun…"

Athrun moved about trying his best to avoid the attack while at the same time, prevent any more major loss to his suit's frame. One of the damaged ligaments flailed about and was destroyed by the enemy fire. Now the Aegis remained with only a battered frame and one usable arm. Athrun looked down at his friend and sighed heavily.

A flashing indicator caught Kira's attention as his looked down at it. He noticed it was Athrun contacting him through a secure, private line. Kira hesitated but accepted the request.

"Athrun...!"

"Stay out of my way, Kira. Get out of there!" Athrun warned. Aegis slowed down but continued its course toward the Legged Ship.

"I can't do that Athrun! I got friends on this ship that I have to protect!" The crosshairs hovered over the Aegis' Guul.

Athrun grunted angrily, disgusted by Kira's words. "How…how can you be friends with such murderous monsters? You're allying yourself with that Delta One pilot! You don't know what he did! If you knew what he did you wouldn't be so quick to be on his side. Why can't you see that everyone who's against coordinators is our enemy, Kira?"

Kira looked down, shocked at how much his friend changed so much during the course of this war. He wondered where his kind-hearted friend was. Kira looked up at the Athrun with heavy eyes. He knew what he had to do and it sickened him just thinking about it. Kira tried to think of a way out of this situation, a way for both he and Athrun could come out of this alive! The only thing that littered his mind was Heero's blunt words. Kira didn't want to accept it, he just didn't want to. He felt himself tear up once again in the heat of battle no less. He looked at the Aegis angrily. "I-if you're not going to retreat then…then I'll shoot you down!"

Athrun narrowed his eyes looking at the Strike. He continued on despite Kira's warning and plea. _"I won't give up, Kira. I won't stop until that ship and everyone on it goes down…!"_

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><p>Cagalli's Skygrasper stopped in front of the fleet. She opens a public channel hailing the fleet. "Let the Archangel through! After everything we've been through you have the audacity to go and turn your backs on us?" she questioned angrily.<p>

A soldier on the other line picked up and replied to her request. "I can't just do what you ask of me! Who are you? Why would an Earth Alliance pilot order me around?"

Cagalli tightened her fists in anger. "If you can't recognize my voice then connect me to your superior. Connect me to my father, Uzumi Nara Athha!" Tears began to form as she continued "My name…my name is Cagalli Yula Athha!"

Mu's Skygrasper and Deathscythe came to a stop after Cagalli's announcement. Duo looked at the craft with wide eyes before grinning. "Didn't expect to see that coming…"

There was a silent calm throughout the fray as everyone paused. Nearly all the mobile suits came to a halting stop at the news.

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><p>Athrun slowed down looking at the direction of the Skygrasper, shocked that this girl was related to the Chief Representative of Orb. He shook his head and focused again. Looking at his prize, the Legged ship, Athrun blocked out all unnecessary events that were unfolding around him and focused solely on the mission at hand.<p>

Kira noticed subtle movement from the Aegis once again and concentrated on the battle. The Strike aimed dead center for the Guul. Kira still managed to hold onto his merciful perspective in the battle, even with the lives of his friends and those he cared for in danger. Athrun maneuvered the Aegis out of the way of a couple of the beams, but one of the beams hit the Guul dead on. Athrun's eyes widened. He never assumed Kira's skills would increase to such a degree. _"When did you get so strong…?"_ Athrun looked at the power gauge. He had just a few minutes left before the PS armor deactivated, which only meant his time was running out!

He tried to move the controls to eject the Aegis' footing off of the Guul unit, but to no avail. Any real response time he had with the legs had been gone thanks to the Delta One's attack no less. The Aegis was now a pathetic suit compared to its intended design. The remaining arm and battered torso did it little justice, but Athrun had to think of something quickly.

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><p>Heero finished off the last remaining Dinn from the enemy forces. His breathing hastened, having fought for a long time. Even though Heero was used to long term combat, having multiple experiences of it, it didn't mean that he didn't get tired once in a while. He looked toward Cagalli's' Skygrasper, feeling something was wrong.<p>

His eyes widened slightly as he felt Zero's presence once again. This time, it had given probability data on the current situation. It was this probability, along with other factors of the system, that gave him the edge in predicting what his opponents were to likely do and be one step ahead of them. This would give enemies an illusion that the suit, or rather the pilot, was able to see the future.

Heero narrowed his eyes and rushed toward Cagalli's location. Heero gritted his teeth in anger. He realized that it was his words that caused her to act the way she did. He knew the circumstances of the situation and given the probability suggested by Zero, things were only going to get worse for her._ "I will not allow my hands to be stained by the blood of the innocent anymore!_ _I won't let my words be the cause of her death!"_ Heero felt a strong pull on his emotions to do everything he could to stop her. He wasn't going to let her death weigh him down. He didn't question why he felt the need to stop her. The emotions rushing through his body was faintly foreign to him. It felt sickening yet calm at the same time. All he knew was to follow this strong emotion and act on it to the best of his ability.

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><p>The Orb soldier took a firm hold on the speaker and responded to Cagalli's declaration. Seeing no sign that either side was stopping their battle and no attempts at leaving their border, the Orb soldier did not believe a word of Cagalli's plea. "I'm in no mood for jokes. There's no way in hell that the princess would be in an Earth Alliance mobile armor. You've wasted our time…"<p>

The cannons took aim at Cagalli's unit. Cagalli's eyes widened, realizing that they were actually going to shoot her down. _"Don't they recognize me?"_

Inside one of the rear ships of the Orb fleet a soldier stood ready at the cannon. He was the only one in the room, and as such, the only one operating the cannon. The soldier sighed quietly looking around the room with boredom plaguing his mind. The soldier began coughing loudly. He covered his mouth, and looked at what covered his hand. He swallowed and sighed heavily. "Just a bit longer…" he commented quietly. The soldier smirked, waiting patiently.

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><p>One of the soldiers on the Archangel brought up the situation on the main front screen. Everyone on the bridge went silent once again as the situation became more dire. Murrue shook slightly as she watched the image. It was a difficult thing to look at, given the situation. "We have to do something!"<p>

"But there's nothing we can do! The ship is damaged and we can't get there in time!" Badgiruel argued.

The doors to the bridge opened as Kisaka entered the bridge. Murrue turned around and looked at him. "What are you doing here?" she questioned with a slight agitated tone. She had no time to handle any more trouble no matter where it came from.

Kisaka looked at the Captain seriously. This was no time to hide anything anymore. If he didn't act now, Cagalli could be in grave danger being in an Earth Alliance unit. "Go into the Orb's waters, you'll be fine. The Orb Second Escort Fleet is famous for its accuracy."

Murrue looked at Kisaka with a crazed look, wondering what had prompted him to make such a suggestion. Murrue looked at his eyes. What was he talking about? And how much did he know about the Fleet? Many questions surrounded Murrue's stressed mind. _"What should we do? If we stay out here we won't have enough supplies to make it through a day, let alone all the way to Alaska!" _Murrue had a strong gut feeling to follow Kisaka's words, but her self-doubt caused great hesitation about her next orders.

She sighed heavily and looked at Arthur. "Turn the ship around; we're heading into Orb…"

"Captain!" Badgiruel shouted. She couldn't believe that Murrue would give such an order based on what a bodyguard suggested.

"Considering our options, if we stayed out in the open waters we'd be dead. I'd rather risk the possible chance at survival rather than a guaranteed chance at dying!"

Badgiruel frowned. She couldn't argue with that. She didn't want to die, not yet at least.

Arthur was shocked by the order but followed it regardless. He grew worried wondering if the captain had made a decision due to the stress of the battlefield. He looked at the horizon grimly as they neared Orb waters.

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><p>Duo and Mu noticed the cannons and rushed in as fast as they could. Mu narrowed his eyes, knowing his plane was low on power. "Let's just hope that I make the impossible possible. Come on you, girl. You can make it!" he said, cheering for his own unit, hoping it would somehow give it luck or extra power.<p>

Duo grunted angrily. This had been one crazy battle. Deathscythe was a bit ahead of Mu's unit, thanks to the light weight of its armor, but due to its lack of multiple and more powerful thrusters, it still didn't have enough speed to reach her in time. "Damn it all to hell, come on!"

Both pilots noticed something coming from behind them. Their alarms blared simultaneously. Duo noticed the blur and smile. "Go, Heero! Hurry up!" he yelled.

"This is your last warning, leave or we will shoot you down!" the soldier warned. The soldier narrowed his eyes looking at the ship; it still had yet to cross the border.

Cagalli growled and lashed out at the soldier. "You bastard!"

Heero narrowed his eyes and pushed the controls forward. Wing Zero's thrusters ignited speeding it through toward Cagalli's unit.

* * *

><p>The Aegis was falling fast. With barely any parts left on its frame, his situation grew dimmer by the minute. Athrun gritted his teeth and pushed the thruster gauge to its maximum. The Aegis rushed toward the Archangel, only to be fall behind it due to the condition of his suit. Athrun gave it all or nothing. He had gone too far, was too close to let the ship go away free after all it had done to his nation and his people. He didn't care if he was entering Orb waters along with the ship. He looked at the engines and saw his new target.<p>

Kira watched in horror as the Aegis was slowly falling apart, turning into just scrambled pieces. Despite the direction the ship was headed, Athrun kept going. Kira realized what Athrun was trying to do. "No, Athrun don't… NOO!" Kira couldn't take it. He couldn't watch his best friend choose to die in front of his eyes. Kira felt overwhelmed wanting the power to stop Athrun. Kira's eyes dilated as he entered SEED mode. The Strike dropped its rifle and jumped up. It went behind the ship to intercept the Aegis.

In a desperate attempt to save his friend, Kira considered the doing the unforgivable, killing his own best friend. Kira cried throughout the chase. He didn't want that, even if it was a last resort. "Athrun, stop!" He cried out.

Athrun turned back and saw the shadow that the Strike casted over his suit. Athrun's eyes dilated as he turned the Aegis around firing the Vulcans, expending all the rounds he had left. The Aegis changed to a gray hue. Athrun only had a few moments of power left and he'd make it count!

The rounds bounced off of the Strike, doing nothing. The rounds caused sparks to flare up which blinded Kira's view. No matter the situation, Kira had to find a way to save his friend! The Strike drew its sabers and rotated it pointing it down at the Aegis. With a sorrowful scream and a moving war cry, Kira struck the Aegis and slashed it to bits. The arm was chopped off, bits of armor and wires flew up shortly before falling into the sea.

Athrun's eyes widened as his cockpit filled up with smoke and it was cut to oblivion. A piece of shrapnel from the cockpit shot into his visor, shattering it as it pierced his face. The pieces of the Aegis fell to the ocean as Kira sat in his cockpit, breathing heavily. Seconds after the attack, he broke down crying his heart out as he yelled. "ATHRUN!"

Kira landed the Strike on the Archangel as it continued on toward Orb's territory. He froze, still trying to and come to terms with what he did to protect the ship. "I…I…" He slowly started crying once again. He couldn't focus on the battle anymore. Whatever happened now was in Duo or Heero's hands.

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><p>The Orb Fleet watched as smoke rose from behind the Archangel. It seemed like things were going to be fine for the ship. Almost all of the soldiers were preoccupied watching the Archangel as if hoping that the ship would cross their waters. Once the ship crossed their waters the commanding officer spoke.<p>

"As you have ignored our warnings, we have no choice but to exercise our right to defend ourselves!"

Heero stopped first noticing something odd with the position of the cannons. Duo and Mu stopped shortly after as they watched the ships firing at the Archangel, but to their surprise the missiles and cannons hit the surrounding water. Heero watched carefully. He still had a sickening feeling despite the show that the Fleet had put on. While the other ships fired in sequence, one of the rear ships' cannons rose up and rotated, taking a different firing position. The cannon took aim at the Skygrasper Cagalli piloted. The soldier operating the weapon smiled. The weapon fired sending a round directly to the Skygrasper.

Within moments of its fire everyone paused and watched as the round hurled its way toward Cagalli. Cagalli's eyes widened as she saw the round heading toward her. _"What the Hell?" _Her life flashed before her eyes. Everything seemed so important to her at that one moment; her childhood, her family and friends, her time with the Desert Dawn, and what would now be her brief time with the crew of the Archangel. She closed her eyes hoping for a swift death.

Heero's eye caught the round and reacted accordingly.

Cagalli heard an explosion, surprised that she was still alive. Cagalli was shocked to see Wing Zero's rear in front of her. A brief cloud of smoke covered the two, but it seemed like they were both still very much alive. Wing Zero lowered its red shield and faced the fleet.

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><p>Everyone on the bridge was shocked to see that the fleet had fired on Cagalli. Kisaka was the most stunned on the bridge. His eyes were wide with pure shock. He couldn't believe what he saw. <em>"What in the world's going on? Why did the ship fire on Lady Cagalli?"<em> Everyone was left bewildered by the incident. A sudden seed of doubt began to grow in the Earth Alliance soldiers. They wondered why this had occurred. Were they going to be in some kind of danger?

Murrue looked at Kisaka. She saw the look on his face. _"Whatever happened, it's not according to their plans…"_

Badgiruel looked at Kisaka sourly.

* * *

><p>Cagalli's breathing sped up. She nearly cheated death thanks to Heero and the Wing Zero. Her adrenaline rushed through her body, keeping her alert and active beyond her wildest dreams.<p>

"Hey…"

Cagalli blinked rapidly and looked down at her communicator.

"W-w-what?" she said still nervous over the entire incident.

"You okay?"

She was shocked to hear those words from Heero, someone she assumed didn't care whether people died or not. "I-I'm fine…thanks…"

Heero faced the ships, trying to trace the trajectory of the shot to find the ship responsible. "Hmm…"

* * *

><p>The one fire caused uproar between the fleet. The soldiers scrambled sending messages, questioning other ships as they tried to find the culprit.<p>

"It couldn't be one of our men! It has to be an intruder!" The Commanding officer yelled.

On the firing ship the chaos seemed to be tripled. The soldiers searched high and low trying to find those responsible. They checked high and low but found no one. One soldier left to the upper deck. His face was hidden unlike the others. His hat covered most of his face, leaving only his mouth visible. He waited for his chance and dove into the ocean. The splash alerted the other soldiers as they fired into the water.

"Don't let him escape!" one of the soldiers shouted

The shady soldier kept diving, heading down to deeper and deeper depths. The soldier smiled continuing his descent into the deep blue.

The Commanding officer grunted angrily. How could this have happened? He sighed heavily and shifted focus. Whatever happened, it had to wait now that the culprit got a way. "Begin escorting the Archangel…" he ordered.

* * *

><p>The Archangel followed a ship toward the decided bay. Everyone seemed quiet and calm, somehow relieved that everything was over with. Kisaka stood by Cagalli as they watched the ship follow the Orb fleets. Cagalli grew nervous as they neared her home. Kisaka put his hand on her shoulder, comforting her, hoping to calm her down as they continued on route.<p>

"Dock the ship as instructed." An Orb officer stated.

Standing on the ship, Kira stood looking back at the sea, wondering if Athrun was truly gone or not. Kira tried to remember exactly what happened, but in the heat of battle, all he could bring up was his desire to protect the ship at all costs. He sighed heavily, hoping for the best.

Heero sat inside Wing Zero looking over the trajectory of the shot. He considered many reasons as to why the incident occurred. He closed his eyes, thinking about the black Wing Zero. _"Is he behind that attack?" _he paused and let a small sigh out. "Hmm…"

Duo stood on the cockpit hatch of his suit staring out at the sea. He sighed happily; glad to be out of his cockpit after such a long time. He stretched his arms out and exhaled. Duo stood looking out at the ocean as the incident repeated in his mind. He too wondered who was behind the shot. Giving the incident little thought he turned and faced his suit. Duo smiled and looked at the islands nearby. "Well let's hope they have a Junkyard here."

The Archangel reversed into the docking bay designated for the ship by the Orb forces. Heero watched as the door to the bay closed.

* * *

><p>Everyone got a moment to relax after the hard fought battle. Mu took a moment to rest, but soon resumed his duties as he prepared himself for a meeting with Lord Uzumi, the heir of Orb. Just thinking about meeting the man gave Mu chills. The situation they were in wasn't one to be taken lightly. Now that they were in Orb's territory, their authority and power meant almost nothing.<p>

Kira went straight to his room after he put the strike back into its standard position on the ship. Some of the soldiers and mechanics in the hangar cheered his name, congratulating him for destroying one of the enemies. Kira ignored their words. Heero lowered himself down to the ground. He kept an eye on Kira, noticing the young man's saddened state. Heero closed his eyes ignoring Kira, knowing that what Kira had to go through now, he had to go through it alone.

Kira didn't think about anything. He didn't think about his friends, he didn't think about Flay, he didn't think about anyone. All Kira thought about was the last moments before his attack. Kira thought it was all a dream. He walked by Flay as he headed to his room.

"Hey Kira…"

Kira ignored her like without any hesitation. Flay froze when he blatantly ignored her. Did he hear of what she tried to do with Heero? Her heart pounded with fear as her blood rushed to her skin. She felt embarrassed just thinking about the whole situation. Kira walked into his room and closed the door, locking Flay outside. He just wanted to be alone. This was something he couldn't reveal to anyone.

Kira looked at his hands and shook, seeing red on his hands. He turned and faced the wall as he lied in his bed. He hugged his legs close, taking the fetal position. Kira closed his eyes as tears ran down his face like a million drops of rain running down a window.

"A-Athrun…"

Heero leaned on Zero's leg, resting and taking full advantage of this brief moment of no combat. He closed his eyes and thought of what would happen now that they were in this new nation. He heard some of the mechanics talking about how orb was the Land of Peace. Hearing those words, Heero thought of the Sanc Kingdom, and how it was considered a land of peace. _"Just how long will this land of peace last?"_

"Hey Heero!"

Heero raised his hand and caught a water bottle as if through pure instinct. He opened his eyes and looked at Duo drinking out of another bottle.

"What?" he asked coldly.

Duo stood by him and sighed as he looked at all the soldiers getting ready for something big. "Oh nothing, just thought you'd like some company since everyone's busy doing something." He replied casually. "So what do you think happened out there…?" Duo's tone changed severely as he shot a serious glance at Heero.

"I don't know…" Heero stared at the water bottle thinking about what happened.

Duo looked at Heero confusingly. It was a rare occasion for Heero not to know something about what happened in a battle especially since he was so close. This confused him even more. "Okay…that's bad…"

"Yea..." Until Heero found out what truly happened and who was behind it, he couldn't answer any questions about it. Heero opened the water bottle and gulped down mouthfuls of water to quench his thirst.

Heero stopped when he saw Mu rushing towards the two.

"Hey Commander, what's up?" Duo asked.

"Well I've been told that the leader of Orb not only wants to meet with us but he also wants to see you two after our meeting. I just came by to tell you guys to not get too comfortable." With those last words Mu left the two pilots as he followed Murrue and Badgiruel to the meeting.

Duo smiled. "Wonder what the leader wants with us? It couldn't be because you saved his daughter, could it?"

"You got me…" Heero replied with slight confusion.

"So why did you rush in like that? In all the years I've known you I've never seen you rush into save someone. Hell, I don't even think you'd save me!"

Heero looked at Duo apathetically. "That's because you don't need saving…" Heero walked away, getting ready for the meeting. Duo watched as Heero left, speechless. "He's been getting the last word on me for a while since we came here. What's going on? One moment He's Heero, then he's a joker, and now…" he complained. "Now I don't know what he is!"

* * *

><p>As the Archangel found a haven in Orb, the Zaft forces remained within the boundary, waiting for the right moment to mount a counter-strike. Due to their great losses it seemed an idea of a counter-strike was impossible. The Aegis' parts were found scattered through the ocean floor. It seemed that Athrun would have died but his allies did not give up hope that he was still alive.<p>

Dearka looked at the message given to them by the Orb Nation. He scoffed and narrowed his eyes angrily before throwing the message to the ground. "This is complete bullshit! The ship is not gone. Not with those two suits around. Who do they think we are, dumbasses? It's probably because of our leader being killed in action."

"Dearka!" Nicol shouted. He was distraught by the news that the Aegis had been shot down by the Strike. _"Why didn't you come back? You could have lived to fight another day!" _ Nicol closed his eyes tightly as he tightened his fists. He wouldn't have it! He knew that Athrun was out there somewhere, either below the sea or on some island, he had to be alive! Nicol rushed out of the room heading toward the hangar.

"Nicol, wait!"

Dearka's words fell short. It was too late. He sighed heavily, feeling guilty for giving up hope on Athrun so quickly. He knew that Nicol and Athrun were close, closer than the other members of the graduating class. Dearka grunted angrily, hitting the table. Regardless of who shot him down, Dearka thought about the root cause for all of their troubles, the Delta units. This was the second friend that those bastards took from him. He stared blankly with a rage filled eyes. _"You're going to pay…"_

Nicol searched the vicinity of the destruction, searching for hours on end. Using the Blitz, Nicol searched as long as his suit's power permitted. _"I know you're out here somewhere…"_ Nicol prayed, trying to stay optimistic. The Blitz looked around at the bottom of the sea. Something caught Nicol's attention. The Blitz turned around and looked at the surrounding area. The cameras zoomed in on one specific piece. Nicol's eyes widened upon seeing which part of the Aegis lied before his eyes.

The Blitz reached for the piece and grabbed it as it began to surface. Nicol smiled and looked down at the piece. A large amount of water gushed out from the sea as the Blitz left. The suit landed on the carrier and placed the piece down on the carrier as soldiers examined it.

* * *

><p>Moments after the Blitz's surface, a person rose from the sea. The person gasped loudly as he breathed irregularly. His wet, jet black hair covered his eyes, which luckily shielded his eyes from the sun. He breathed heavily swallowing a few times as he tried to calm his body down. He coughed multiple times as blood shot out of his mouth, mixing in with the ocean. The person looked at the large amount he had coughed out. He sighed and looked up at the Zaft carrier. "I better hurry up then…"<p>

The person began swimming toward a different location. As he swam, his body rose slightly revealing an Orb uniform. With only the horizon of the sea to guide him, the soldier continued on toward his unknown destination.

* * *

><p>Up in space the Zaft ship slowly entered the docking bay, following the dotted lines. An assortment of noises filled the halls as many gears turned and connections finalized with a click. Inside a pitched black room there was a silent chuckle. The door opened revealing a ray of light into the dark room. The man inside groaned as he averted his eyes from the brightness. "Come on you crazy doctor. We're here."<p>

Yagami stood up and grinned. He followed the group of soldiers and the Captain off of the ship as they entered the Colony. Yagami looked around noticing the differences in the designs in the Colonies interior. _"This design gives the colony more room to house civilians. It's quite astounding they'd manage to create such a colony given the technology they have." _Yagami grinned quietly to himself as he followed the soldiers like a weasel.

Yagami took hold of the track handle as he floated comfortably. He looked toward the other side and saw a group of men heading toward the docking bay. The group of men wore distinctive uniforms that were more decorative than the captain. Yagami looked at one of the men's eyes and noticed the same look he had seen in many Politian's. Yagami looked as the Captain and the soldiers saluted the violet dressed man. _"He must be one of their high leaders…." _He smiled, knowing if he was going to advance in his own plans he would have to have friends in high places. Yagami listened carefully to their conversation.

"The reports say the attack on the legged ship was unsuccessful. They couldn't destroy or bring in one of the new enemy machines."

The old man dressed in a violet uniform grunted angrily.

"Sir…There's also a report that Athrun Zala was shot down…but the cockpit has been recovered. No further updates."

The man stopped and stared at the reporter. "What! Was it those units doing?" He grew distraught and looked down as he continued on. He couldn't stop now; he had a meeting to attend. "How can we compete with those suits? That indestructible armor and that god damned rifle!"

Yagami took note of the old man's words. A creep of suspicion rose as he thought of the two gundam pilots. _"It couldn't be…" _Yagami had his doubt but if there was going to be any chance for him now was the time. He stopped and let go of the track handle.

"Does one of those suits transform?"

The man stopped and turned around staring at Yagami. It sounded as if this old man knew about the suit in some manner. "What did you say?" he asked in an angered tone.

The captain and soldiers stopped and looked at the Yagami, shocked that he had the balls to cut into the Councilman's conversation. They approached him and tried to stop the conversation, but the Councilman wouldn't have it. "I want to hear what the fool has to say!" he demanded.

Yagami smiled and looked at him. "Well, it may be just a wild guess, but have your forces been decimated by one suit?"

Everyone looked at Yagami with shocked eyes. It seemed like he wasn't just an ordinary old man after all. The Captain narrowed his eyes, "Who are you…Dr. Yagami?"

The Councilman looked at this old man questioningly. "Yes, who is this man?" He looked at the captain and the soldiers, demanding an answer. They were about to answer when Yagami raised his hand. "I'll explain everything in due time. Just spare me some of your time. I can see that you're a very important man. Important men must have important information. That I have."

The doctor's words seemed too distrusting, but it was clear that it had something to do with the Delta Units. The possibility of the doctor knowing how to combat against the units rose in the Councilman's mind. _"If this fool does have information we need and if I am the one to gain it, it will strengthen my chances…"_ The Councilman looked at Yagami. He was doubtful but the fact that the two units had cost the armed forces a great lost, the allure of the chance at a strong comeback was too great to ignore. He wanted to hear what the doctor had to say, but he was running out of time. "You have five minutes to convince me."

Yagami grinned evilly as he began talking. The Councilman's eyes widened as he listened to this doctor's tale. It seemed like a gift sent from the heavens. With everything the doctor stated, victory seemed at hands reach for the Coordinators. The Councilman jumped at the opportunity in front of his eyes. "I'll put you in the new mobile suits development division. I'm giving you one shot. You'll be working directly for me, Patrick Zala." Patrick extended his hand out hoping Yagami would accept his generous offer.

Yagami looked at him and smiled taking firm grasp of his hand, shaking it. "You got yourself a deal." Yagami tried to hold in his excitement as he began brainstorming about all the things he could accomplish being in one of the mobile suits development teams. _"You'll have your suits…and I'll…I'll have mine!"_

* * *

><p>Inside a large room, Mu, Murrue, and Badgiruel sat across from Uzumi Nara Athha. The room was quiet and the tension, thin. It was clear that the Alliance officers didn't want to be in this room in front of this man. Uzumi looked at them and closed his eyes briefly before speaking.<p>

"As you know, our nation is neutral."

"Yes," Murrue confirmed

"Therefore, the official line is our forces chased your ship from our territorial waters."

"I see…"

"You didn't save us just because we had your daughter on board, did you? Or was it because Heero saved your daughter?"

Uzumi sighed and remained calm, even when reminded of what happened to his daughter. "Do you honestly believe that I would risk the fate of an entire nation and its people, just for a spoiled little girl? No, the world isn't simple enough for something like that to happen…" Uzumi wished for a world where the only thing that mattered was his daughter and family. He sighed as he thought about this pilot, Heero. Thinking about him reminded Uzumi of his true goal. He didn't wish to waste their time, and more importantly, his.

"I'm sorry if I implied that, sir." Mu apologized.

"I am left wondering if it would have been wiser for me to protect the nation's people and just let that ship and those mobile suits fend for themselves? Even now I question if I made the right decision."

Badgiruel narrowed her eyes slightly finding it disgusting that he'd thought of leaving them for dead.

"So much has occurred during their time on the ship. The children of Orb who were forced to volunteer and become soldiers, the encounter of the new mobile weapons piloted by two teens, who themselves must have been a tragedy of war." Uzumi concluded.

"I'm deeply sorry for what happened to the children, Lord Uzumi…" Murrue apologized.

"No…it's quite alright. I believe that we are all share blame for what's happened."

The three sat silently, thinking about what they've done in the war and thought about what they've caused so far.

"Let me explain the reason why we didn't let your ship and forces be destroyed. We would like all available combat data on the Strike and its' pilot, the coordinator, Kira Yamato for technical cooperation with Morgenroete." He explained bluntly.

Murrue, Mu, and Badgiruel glanced at each other carefully. It wasn't a request to take lightly.

"We're willing to offer you and ship extensive assistance, if you agree."

Murrue stood up. She couldn't believe they were given an ultimatum. "Lord Uzumi, but that is…!"

Uzumi closed his eyes. "You may think it over tonight if you wish, but I'd like an answer before the morning…"

The three stood up and left the room.

* * *

><p>Heero and Duo stood by the door watching the three walk by briefly before they entered.<p>

Uzumi stood up and greeted them. "I see you waste no time." He sat back down as he looked at the two across the table. "Please, sit down." He invited. Duo and Heero sat down as they remained silent. The experienced pilots knew what Uzumi wanted.

"I don't want to waste your time any more than I already have, so let me get to the point. I am willing to allow you to use Orb and our resources in exchange for combat data from your suits and your cooperation."

There was an eerie silence in the room as Uzumi waited for the pilots reply. He looked at Heero, staring into his eyes. He had not forgotten that Heero was the one that saved his daughter. Sitting in the room alone with the pilots didn't give him any time to relax. It seemed like there was a more serious presence that emanated from their bodies compared to the Alliance soldiers. Looking into Heero's eyes Uzumi knew that he was the source of this discomforting feeling.

Duo looked around and leaned back in the chair. He sighed and looked at Uzumi. "I'll help out. I got some things I want to find for my suit anyway." Duo said smiling. It was an easy decision for him. He had to find resources soon if they were going into more difficult battles. Helping them out was a small price to pay in exchange for what he could possibly get in return. Duo glanced at Heero, knowing that his ally and friend would not be so quick to agree. _"Heero…"_

Uzumi nodded smiling in return. He turned his attention back to Heero. "What about you…? Will you agree to the terms?"

Heero closed his eyes and sighed. He opened them showing no change in his stare. He weighed the positive and negative sides to joining them. On one hand he could have access to resources without having to steal it or find it through other means. On the other hand, he couldn't risk the Orb forces discovering the ZERO system. "Hmm…"

Uzumi saw the wisdom in Heero. It was obvious to him that both of these soldiers were well seasoned veterans. While it surprised him that Duo agreed so soon, the way Heero acted did not shock the elder leader. "If you'd like, you can think about the decision overnight…" he suggested.

Heero responded quickly. "No. While I will agree to help you with what you need, I will not give you the battle data of my suit. I won't explain why."

Uzumi sighed, expecting such a stipulation from one of them. "Fine. You did save my daughter, and for that I am in your debt. I know you didn't have to save her, but I am glad you chose to. I do wonder where she got such an idea to fly into our forces in an Earth Alliance craft."

Heero looked at Uzumi, curiously. _"He knows more then he lets on."_

Heero stood up and headed for the door. Uzumi watched as he wondered if Heero would answer his question or not. Heero stopped at the door and looked at him. "I can't give you a clear answer as to why I did it. I live my life according to my emotions, and that's what I told her. It would have been my fault if she died."

Uzumi smiled "Sounds like you did give me an answer."

Heero looked at Uzumi, wondering what he was smiling about. He ignored his smile and left. Duo stood up and rushed after him.

* * *

><p>With the meeting concluded Heero and Duo left. Duo looked at Heero curiously. "So why didn't you agree to the whole thing? If you were going to pull something like that then you could have added my suit into the condition!"<p>

"Deathscythe doesn't have the ZERO system. I'm not concerned if we can't handle it. It's the mass of soldiers."

Duo gave Heero's words a moment of thought before his eyes widened. "It'd be anarchy!"

Heero nodded once. "Yea…" Heero headed back to the Archangel quietly.

* * *

><p>That night, Mu, Murrue, and Badgiruel discussed whether or not to let the Strike and Kira fall into Orb's hands.<p>

"I'm against it, this country is dangerous."

"Of course it is. But what do you suggest we do now? Leave, get shot down, and then swim to Alaska?"

"Of course not! I just think it's better if we pay for the parts we used for the repairs."

"I do understand your point, but…" Mu turned around looking at the Captain.

"That wouldn't be the end of it. He didn't mention anything to us, but I'm sure that he's under a lot of pressure from Zaft. Yet they still chose to protect us. You do realize why, don't you?"

Badgiruel was angered with where this argument went. "Whatever you say Captain, seeing as how I don't have the authority to do anything about it. As far as this case is concerned I will certainly make a point about bringing it up once we do make it to Alaska." Badgiruel left, leaving the Commander and Captain alone.

Mu watched her leave. It never ceased to surprise him when it came to Badgiruel's anal loyalty to the Alliance. "She's got a list, right?" He turned and looked at the Captain. "You know… I hate doing this to the kid again. I heard he hasn't left his room since we docked."

Murrue sighed worriedly wondering what happened during the battle.

The next morning the Strike, Wing Zero, and Deathscythe followed a jeep toward Morgenroete. The Jeep stopped in front of large wall. The wall opened revealing an entrance to the base. The mobile suits followed the Jeep one by one as they were lowered into the compound.

* * *

><p>The morning sun brought a new day to each city that welcomed its glow. High above in the sky thunder sounded and lightning began appearing as it seemed like a select space was spinning. The space began to swirl as the lighting flashed more frequently. The center of this vortex glowed bright red. Some of the pedestrians looked up, assuming that it was going to rain due to the thunder and lightning.<p>

People's assumption turned into fear as they saw the vortex. The sight of the vortex caused a panic. People called out of the police, the military, anyone! Some began running as far as they could while others stood in awe, curious as to what this vortex would bring.

Approaching the city from a great distance, the black haired male rushed. He heard the thunder from miles away. He had thrown away the orb uniform and wore a tight black shirt with matching long cargo pants that had multiple assortments attached. It seemed like he was some kind of military assassin. The male rushed quickly as his eyes watched the center glow brighter and brighter. "Great…it had to pick a populated area…"

The glow shined brighter and brighter. As most people were occupied with its shine, something shot out of the vortex. The object rushed down toward the city at immeasurable speeds. Within seconds after leaving the vortex the object crashed into the city. The impact was too powerful. Shockwaves broke apart buildings as the structure began to fall onto the civilians, killing them.

Cars and other vehicles flew, hitting buildings, other vehicles and the surrounding people. It was absolute carnage. The lively, peaceful city was now destroyed, full of flames and cries of pain. Fire surrounded and engulfed the area.

The male stopped at the edge of a cliff, looking over the destruction caused by the impact. The flames rose and combined. It seemed like just one huge fireball. The male watched as something rose from the flames. "Made it in time, just wished you would have chosen a better location…"

Inside the flames a large object stood strong. The flames covered its actual appearance in a dark silhouette. The only park of the object that was visible was the dark crimson glow that cave from the object's eyes. A gigantic gust of wind blew away the flames revealing what the object was, a mobile suit.

The male stood, his red eyes staring at the suit calmly. He sighed and spoke. "Once you're ready to go, we'll leave…" The mobile suit turned its head and faced the male. The center orb on its chest glowed a bright devilish red.

* * *

><p><strong>Read and review, and thanks again to those who have.<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Dark Warrior

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Wing. The oc that shows up is mine

**Author's Note: I am sorry for keeping a lot of you waiting on this chapter and the next which I will be posting a long with this chapter. I contemplated on whether or not to take a break and go to After Colony to show what's been going on there first, or continuing the story. This is really one of the main reasons (along with school and life being the bigger reasons) that I was unable to get any major writing done. Please also note that from this point on I no longer have any previous chapters or notes of the first version of this story, so it may differ even more as the story continues. Well that's enough of the A/N, here is Chapter 11**

* * *

><p>Flames and smoke continued to surround the hellish area that used to be home to a vibrant city. At the center of the flames the dark suit stood silently, the winds blowing the flames about surrounding it as if the suit itself commanded the fiery element. The suits red crimson eyes and search eye glowed as the cockpit hatch opened.<p>

Down below the unknown male stood looking up at his suit. He seemed unaffected by the flames and the situation around him. He was calm as a gentle breeze during a perfect summer day. The male heard the moans and groans of the surviving citizens of the city, but he purposely ignored them. He watched as the suits zip line lowered down. While he waited it seemed like forever for the damned thing to come down, people were yelling out to him, pleading for help and medical attention. He sighed calmly.

The male looked over to an injured man who seemed like he was just a thread away from dying. His body was crushed by heavy debris. He was trapped. He couldn't feel his legs under the weight of the building's pieces piled on his lower body. It was a miracle that he was still alive, given all that he had gone through. It felt like a war in itself just to move. The man reached his hand out slowly fighting the pain that engulfed every fiber of his being. He was a bloody mess. His head was cracked opened, most likely from falling debris during the city's destruction. A small gash gave a view into the man's brain and skull drenched and covered in blood. The man spoke out weakly.

"P-p-please…h-hel-help…me…"

The dark haired male ignored him as he grabbed a hold of the line. Rising up to the suit he watched as the injured man looked at him with tearful eyes. The man couldn't tolerate watching the black haired male leaving him for dead. It seemed inhuman on the male's part. He mustered up all the remaining energy he had left and cried out, shouting his lungs out to the black haired male.

"D-d-d-d-d-Damn it….! D-Don't LEAVE ME!" With his final words, the injured male died as tears ran down his face. Hope had turned its back on this man, leaving him for dead.

Setting foot on the cockpit hatch, the black haired male entered the cockpit sitting down comfortably as the harness and belts automatically wrapped themselves around his body keeping him in a save position. The cockpit closed as the screens surrounding him came to life. It shined briefly revealing the design of the cockpit.

Much of its design resembled the suit it mirrored. The sleek one compartment cockpit with a large front area, the sides closed off any real movement inside. Two horizontal handles remained at the sides for easy control. The large sphere in the front of the pilot seemed to map out ever location in the range of the suits' radar. Lines upon lines rushed around the glass sphere. Grabbing hold of the controls, the black haired man closed his eyes for a mere second before the surrounding darkness flashed once more and displayed a panoramic view of the area, giving the pilot the suit's point of view.

The male pressed multiple buttons on the front panel while speaking aloud. "Out of the twenty two million people in the area, only 20,000 or so remain. You really did a good job, but left some stragglers."

Seconds after he spoke his eyes glowed a bright red. He gave a light smile. "Of course, blame it on me for not piloting you during all that time. You know full well who you're created from. There's no point in blaming me when you're the one in control. If you want to finish off the stragglers, just say so. Make it quick and leave no trace of the city or its people, we got a busy schedule." He commented coldly as his eyes narrowed. The screen returned to its shadowed appearance once the male finished looking over the damage.

The black haired male removed his hold from the controls and crossed his arms letting the machine finish the job itself. The suits eyes glowed as it flew up high. The sensors locked onto certain areas of the remaining city as red crosshairs filled the black screen surrounding the cockpit. The suit pointed its rifle down at one targeted point and began charging the rifle.

The black haired male viewed the area through the small screen at the top of the cockpit, seeing all of the people in pain and suffering from the destruction the suit had caused. He closed his eyes as he sighed. _"The main target should set of a chain. Remaining casualties will feel nothing and the suffering will end."_ He listened as the controls sounded with each movement in the cockpit as if he commanded the task himself.

The few survivors who were able to walk or move looked up at this dark suit. They screamed, cried, prayed, and did everything in their power to stop the suit. The tip of the barrel glowed a devilish red before firing. A massive wave released. The concentrated blast was accompanied by an electrical shockwave surrounding the beam, making it seem like the radius of the shot was larger than it really was. It rushed down to the intended target, hitting the area. As predicted by the black haired male, the blast spread through the city pushing up the ground beneath it causing explosions throughout each secondary target.

The multiple explosions combined as one final explosion devastated the area, reducing it to nothing but a wasteland, void of any trace that there was human life or interaction. It seemed like a huge meteor had smashed into the area creating a massive crater rather than an attack by a single mobile suit.

The black haired male's calm blank stare was replaced by a sudden expression of pain, grunting and gritting his teeth together. His vision rapidly began distorting as he continued to groan in pain. He closed his eyes and reached to the side, pulling out a cylinder device from a hidden compartment. He struggled to move as he placed his left hand over his chest trying to put slight pressure on the area that caused him pain while he tried to regain his breath. He began coughing and a black blood like substance gushed out madly as if he had been stabbed in a vital area in his abdomen. He looked over at his left arm seeing his veins glowing like Christmas lights shining a bright light blue and then suddenly dims. The glow returned as his veins alternated from glowing and dimming. Closing his mouth to contain the discolored blood, he moved quickly, grunting. His body felt weighed down as if he was being stepped on by a mobile suit. He moved his hand away from his chest and took the device. Squeezing it, a small needle extended out at the end. He looked at the needle as it shined.

Looking down at his chest he stabbed the needle in and applied more pressure squeezing the device harder and harder. The device sounded as air released. Within moments he could feel the device becoming lighter as the contents flooded into his body. His breathing returned and slowly all the other disturbing symptoms subsided. Removing the device he looked down as the wound on his chest bleed red from the small wound caused by the needle.

Sighing heavily he leaned back in the cockpit. There was an uneasy silence as he stared out into blank space. "Shut up Astray, I got it. I've lost count of how many times I've danced with the devil. I know what my future holds. I just want to finish what I came here to do. Now, shut the fuck up and get us out of here." He leaned back resting, letting the suit pilot itself to the next destination.

As the smoke rose from the deadly attack the mobile suit moved and transformed, rushing out of the area at break-neck speeds. The shining sun casted its orange glow on the monstrosity that was called a mobile suit. The suit left behind nothing but destruction and a trail of red particles.

* * *

><p>A final set of doors opened as the three pilots looked into an open area. Down below a group of mechanics and engineers stood by a woman dressed in a red jacket. Her light brown hair was tied back, leaving a bundle near her eyes. She watched as the three mobile suits docked. She led the three pilots, giving them a tour of the compound. Kira looked around. He was shocked that such a compound was down here. "What is this place?" he questioned.<p>

"Well we can do complete repairs on your Strike now, because in a matter of speaking, I guess I it was born here."

She turned around and looked at Heero and Duo. "I've been told of your conditions. We won't touch your suits if you don't allow it. Although I do wish I could pull your machines apart just to see what makes them so intriguing. From what I've heard all the feats you two pulled off in those units, it's just unbelievable that a suit could do such things."

Duo smiled, taking her vivid interest in their suits as a compliment. He chuckled slightly and shrugged his shoulders trying to hide a sense of pride in the achievements of his suit. "It's nothing too interesting. Just because it's a Gundam doesn't make it indestructible. It's really all about the pilot" He commented.

Erica smiled and nodded agreeing with him even though she thought otherwise when it came to their suits. To her, Heero and Duo's machines were something they could only hope to achieve to bring out in their units. The G-Weapons series and other units were limited with what they could use to build mobile suits at the time due to physical and political limitations. She gave a glance toward Heero seeing no change in his posture since he stepped out of his suit. _"That one might be a bit difficult…"_

Heero followed Erica along with the other two. He kept his opinions to himself having nothing good to say about their situation. Glancing around the compound he noticed various tools and areas where he could use to repair and maintain his suit. His mind recorded each area they passed, calculating which places were useful, which places to avoid, or which places worth checking out. He stopped and looked ahead as Erica led them toward another room.

"There's something I want to show you…."

Doors opened as the group walked in. After just a few steps into the room lights sounded as the room brightened.

Looking up, Kira was shocked to see the room filled with mobile suits. He looked around finding it hard to believe. _"What the hell…? How in the…?"_ Kira looked around, speechless. Duo smiled glancing over the units. He let out a long whistle seeing all of the mass produced units. He stared at the head units seeing each and every one of them containing the trademark design and looks of a gundam. He raised an eyebrow questioningly as he pouted. "Geez what does it take to get some variety?" he muttered quietly. Erica glanced over at him, after hearing his comment.

"Now hold on there! There's a good re—"

"What's their status?" Heero interrupted. It didn't take him long to put the pieces of the puzzles together. He already figured out why they were brought here the moment they step foot in this specific room. He looked at Erica waiting for a reply staring at her with serious, yet calm eyes.

Erica looked at Heero surprised to hear him speak for the first time since he arrived. She was taken by surprise by his odd question. It took her a moment to get out of her blank daze as she replied. "What was that?"

"Can they be used for battle?" He asked.

Erica looked at him seeing Heero wasn't the type that had time to waste. She explained the entire situation. "This is the M1 Astray, constructed by Morgenroete for the ORB military." She turned facing the three.

"Everything on the suits is completed, but we don't have a proper OS for the suits for the pilots to use them properly. Come, follow me, I'll show you…"

Leading them to another room, the three noticed three units standing side by side. The room had rows of computers occupied by multiple workers. The area was busy and alive. Words spread out like chatter in a lunchroom. Erica led the three to the large window at the end that allowed a full close up view of the training ground for the pilots and mobile suit.

Without saying a word to the three, Erica spoke, ordering the pilots in the machines to begin their drills. Duo, Heero, and Kira watched as the three pilots began to move their suits, succeeding in nothing more than a few steps and very slow movements.

Duo grew bored of watching these trainees struggling to move the suits. He yawned and rested his arms behind his head.

"Hey who was that?" a female voice yelled out from the machine closest to the window. She stopped, looking over at the window seeing someone standing there ignoring all of the difficult maneuvers she had to perform just to get the suit to move.

The question snapped Duo out of his small drowsiness. "A girl?" he questioned.

"A girl?" the female repeated angrily. "What's that supposed to mean? Girls can't pilot suits?" she yelled.

Duo smiled and chuckled waving his arms up, surrendering. "Look missy, I'm not trying to say girls can't pilot suits…"

"Missy?" the female yelled out.

Duo lightly groaned. He couldn't help but feel like he was being yelled and lectured at by Hilde again. Duo continued to smooth his way out of this predicament and calm the pilot down. _"Out of all the things to happen in a place like this…"_

As the female pilot tried to move her suit toward Duo to threaten him, Erica looked at Heero and Kira. "You see why we need your help. The controls right now are extremely difficult for our pilots to operate. We were hoping that with your help, we could get them along the same lines of your Strike's capabilities and with your aid, Heero; we hoped to find some way to strengthen the units. We need your technical cooperation. We want you two to develop a supporting OS for us" she concluded.

Kira looked down disappointedly. Realizing that he had taken Athrun's life hit him hard and changed him back somewhat to how he was before taking his friend's life. He had more doubts than ever before about what was the right thing to do to end this war and grew more angered by the thought of everything being solved by mobile suits and battle. He would never be able to escape war, it seemed. _"Even here…all there is, is fighting. Is there really no way to solve war without it?"_ He remained silent, looking down with a discomforting stare.

Heero looked at Erica and then looked at the machines. He felt a strange sensation that he was in the Sanc Kingdom. His mind knew the consequences of denying the request and his heart and emotions pulled at him. If he chose to deny then there was the possible chance that with nothing to protect this peaceful nation, the lives of many would inadvertently be caused by his choice, his hands. If he chose to assist, he ran the possible risk of more data about Deathscythe, or more importantly, Wing Zero being leaked.

After a long moment of considering their options, Kira and Heero agreed to assist.

* * *

><p>Inside one of the Vosgulov class ships, drama and word spread out like a virus about who was in the cockpit. Many soldiers thought that the pilot was no longer alive or that if he was, there would be nothing left to help him and that he would be a dying cause to try and save. Few people in the ship had high hopes. One of them, Nicol, never gave up hope. He followed the pilot into the medical room as far as the doctors would allow. Nicol stood, looking up at the red emergency light that seemed too surreal for him.<p>

"Please…please pull through…"

Nicol was unsure if he could go through this again. He had lived through this sickening worrisome fleeing with Yzak at the Gibraltar base. Nicol's eyes widened feeling someone's hand on his shoulder.

"He'll pull through Nicol. The Commander didn't make him lead this team without a good reason you know." Dearka spoke.

Nicol looked up at Dearka with hopeful eyes, tearing slightly. "I know..." Nicol took a moment finding it difficult to speak. "It's just…I hate seeing our friends like this. I know I should be feeling angry…but all I can feel is sadness…"

"It's alright to feel sad about all of this right now." Dearka scoffed thinking to himself. "Come the time when Athrun comes out of there, we'll be kicking their asses all the way to Hell!" He tightened a fist briefly smiling.

Nicol moved away from Dearka finding his desire to fight after what's occurred unnatural and downright fearsome. Nicol left Dearka alone as he walked around the ship. He sighed and thought about the situation himself. _"But what can we do while he's in surgery…? Without a commander, what can we do?"_ Nicol knew that after everything the ship and the suits had done he should feel angered just as much as Dearka, if not more given his time with Athrun, but he didn't know what to feel. His kindhearted nature conflicted with his desire to fight. He was left with a perplexing predicament. A part of him felt they had to do something, even if it didn't bring anything good to them. They had to do something! But then there was a part of him that just felt like he could put this damn war on pause just until Athrun got better so he could lead them again. Nicol sighed watching the dark sea as the ships made their hasty return to Carpentaria for resupply and better medical treatment for Athrun.

* * *

><p>Back at Morgenroete, the mechanics and other crewmembers in the hangar were loading up parts and repairing damaged machines. Murdoch signed off for more shipment of parts while Mu watched over the repairs conducted by the ORB mechanics. He watched over them quietly, thinking to himself at times contemplating over the situation they were put in. He sighed lightly wondering what their next move would be.<p>

Inside the ship, Murrue called all of the young teens for a short meeting, informing them that they would soon be allowed to disembark the ship to see their parents. Most of the teens were anxious and delighted to leave the ship and see their parents. All of the teens were, except for one. While the others continued in cheering and showing happiness at the thought of seeing their parents after such a long time, Flay sighed and left the group, keep her saddened emotions to herself.

Flay walked down the hallway thinking about how every was able to see their parents, but in the end she couldn't. Her father was lost to her; she couldn't see him no matter how much she prayed for it. Reminiscing about the past, she thought of Kira.

* * *

><p>Inside the mobile suits factory, the mechanics worked tirelessly while they repaired the Strike to a hundred percent. Inside the cockpit the sound of key's being hit filled the small space with frequent noise. Inside Kira worked on his suit. His mind was set on his machine, and nothing more.<p>

"Wow, I can't believe how fast you're typing." Cagalli commented.

Kira looked up seeing Cagalli staring down at him from above.

"Oh, I was wondering who was in the strike. If it weren't for that suit you're wearing, I'd guess you were Heero. I mean, you guys both got brown hair from where I'm standing." Kira wore an orange mechanic's uniform to cause less trouble and confusion while being in the factory. He sighed slightly when Cagalli mentioned Heero's name. Heero was not someone he wanted to think about. The only thing Kira could think about when he thought of Heero was how his words motivated him to kill his own friend. He exhaled uncomfortably looking up at her.

"I thought you were a princess. What are you doing here?" Kira's choked slightly as he held in his urge to tear up and cry about what had happened. He sighed, his breath shuttering like a child trying to calm down after a long period of crying.

Cagalli noticed his actions and heard the sound of his shuttering sighs. "Kira?" she asked worriedly.

Kira sighed heavily as he held in his tears and emotions. He looked at her, his eyes clearly wet and ready to pour. Cagalli could see the tears just waiting to fall on the side of his cheeks.

"Look, if you don't have any else to say then could you leave? I got to finish this up before…" Kira quickly paused finding it difficult to continue "…Heero sends me the OS to finalize?"

Cagalli scoffed but looked at Kira with concerning eyes as she left. She hated being brushed off but knew whatever Kira was going through, it really ate at him. Cagalli looked around seeing all the mechanics working on the Strike. She noticed a group standing around doing little to nothing by another room. "Hey, what's that…?"

Cagalli looked at one of the mechanics questioning him about the room.

"That's the room Erica lent those other two pilots. I wouldn't recommend going there. They're in there being all secretive. Damn, wouldn't you think they'd be considerate enough to give us a hand with such technology?" He questioned curiously, looking at the door. He shook his head and resumed his work on the Strike.

Cagalli sighed, heading toward the room determined to see what Heero and Duo were up to.

* * *

><p>Inside the room, Heero and Duo worked on their tasks independently. Heero sat at a large computer set up at the end near the leg of his unit. He typed away accessing files as he worked on the operating system for the astray units. Heero knew from his knowledge of the suits here in the Cosmic Era that the operating systems were essentially more complex than the typical systems back home. Heero opened his laptop. He glanced back and forth from his laptop and the other computer. He reviewed the files he had downloaded from the G-weapons while he was on the Archangel, building a template for the OS and designing a majority of how it would operate.<p>

While Heero worked on the OS, Duo worked the hours away pulling apart his suit. He pulled off various parts of its armors and components. He stopped resting for a moment, relishing at the chance to thoroughly go over his unit and giving it a slight overhaul. "When I'm done with you old buddy that handicap of yours isn't going to be an issue anymore. Now the only issue is to find the parts I need and then trying to keep it from the ORB people and then actually making the—"

"Would you quiet down over there?" Heero questioned, interrupting Duo's babbling.

Duo sighed and looked over at Heero. "Well sorry for trying to figure out how we're going to get our gundam's to tip top shape if there's no gundanium armor, Heero!"

"Just use what you can get. You're jeopardizing our situation if you intend on trying to get your hands on gundanium. Besides, it can only be manufactured in space. I thought you out of all people would know that."

Duo grunted angrily, "I-I know that…!" he said embarrassed by Heero's obvious statement. He knew how Gundanium was manufactured and how difficult it was to manufacture. If he couldn't find scrap parts of gundanium then his only chance of getting any would be in space. _"And I'm in no position or ability of doing either. Damn..."_

After calming down, Duo lowered himself off of his suit. He grabbed a towel and walked up to Heero, resting his arms on the side of the machine. "How's the OS going…?" he asked seeing the screen at an angel.

"Almost done. Once it's finished I'll send it to Kira to finalize."

"You sure he can get the job done?"

"Yea,"

After Heero's reply, it grew silent. Duo walked away trying to think of something to do. The kindness shown by Erica and Lord Uzumi was uncomfortable. _"This just doesn't feel right…!"_ He paced back and forth groaning at times, on the verge of losing his insanity. "Geez I can't take this silence." Duo walked off heading toward the door. "Might as well get some fresh air and something to…"

"Hey!" Heero shouted looking over at Duo, shooting him a serious stare.

Duo waved his hand as he pressed in the code for the door to open "Yea, yea, I gotcha."

* * *

><p>Cagalli stopped, seeing the door slide open. Duo walked out seeing her a few feet away from the door. He smiled at her throwing a small towel over his right shoulder. His face had patches of grease and dirt. He walked up to her and spoke. "So hey, do you guys have a junkyard or something in ORB?"<p>

Surprised by Duo's random question, she looked at him narrowing her eyes staring at him like he was some buffoon. "How would I know? Why are you asking me?" she replied callously. "How could you ask something like that about ORB? Do you think we're some trash land for parts?" She was offended by his question.

Duo gave a weak smile and sighed moving away from Cagalli. _"Someone needs some TLC..."_ he thought as he walked passed her.

Cagalli turned around looking at Duo, she knew she was rude and blunt with how she answered his question. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm just wondering why you'd want a junk yard when you got access to our resources."

Duo stopped looking at her, smiling at her as always. It was like her comment did not even faze him. Duo shrugged "I'm just use to recycling, that's all. And besides, gives me a good reason to head out into the city to see what it's like." He smiled cheerfully chuckling a bit.

Cagalli was silent for a moment before she responded. "Oh…well then I guess you can check out this one place…though, I'm not sure you'll find what you're looking for. Our best parts would be here at the factory, since it IS a_ factory_." Cagalli gave the location of the supposed junkyard cautiously. She watched Duo leave as a sickening feeling in her gut began to grow, wondering what Duo really had in mind.

"Hey! Tell Heero I'll be back before sunset!" Duo yelled waving his arm as he headed out.

Cagalli's eyes froze the moment she heard Heero's name. She looked down on the ground thinking back to her near death experience. She clearly remembered Wing Zero in front of her, shielding her. She turned around looking at the entrance to the other room. Cagalli grunted angrily seeing the door shut and the keypad locked.

"How the hell am I supposed to tell him anything if I can't get in?" she questioned angrily. She approached the door when one of the workers stopped her.

"Hey you're not supposed to be in there! Those guys sounded pretty serious about not letting anyone in."

"I was told to tell one of them that his friend would be back before sunset. I think that's a valid reason for coming in! Now can you open to door or not?" she asked.

The worker looked at her, seeing how determined she was to enter. He shook his head. "I don't have that kind of clearance. The room was specifically reserved for those guys. I don't know the code or have the master key." He replied disappointed.

Cagalli's temper got the best of her as she began yelling and at the worker.

"Now that's no way for someone to ask for what they want, especially you, Princess."

A brief sound of footsteps crept up from behind. She turned around, seeing Erica standing in front of her with her eyes closed, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Erica, open the door!" Cagalli demanded pointing at the keypad.

Erica sighed and looked at Cagalli. "I can't. They requested to be left alone unless it was important."

Cagalli grunted tightening her fists. "It is important! Duo told me to tell Heero he'd be back before sunset. Now are you going to open that door or not?"

Erica chuckled finding her angered state amusing. "All you had to do was ask nicely," Erica punched in the code opening the doors. Cagalli stopped, standing by Erica for a moment. She looked down shamefully. "Thanks…"

Cagalli entered the room and the doors shut behind her soon afterwards.

* * *

><p>She looked around the area curiously. It was completely empty and silent, save for the two gundams and the sound of typing. The room was smaller than the other room that held the Strike but it was large enough to accommodate two suits and multiple tools. Cagalli saw Heero at the end near a large computer at the foot of his suit. She slowly approached him seeing the multitude of tools they had in the room.<p>

"Wow, with all these things you think you'd be able to make your own suit." She commented. She looked up at the Deathscythe, opened up and stripped of some of its armor and parts. _"What the Hell are they doing?"_

Heero glanced over at her seeing her approach him, but didn't stop typing. "What are you doing here?"

Cagalli grew agitated with the similar questions. "What's with you guys? I get the same thing from Kira, and now you're giving me the third degree too?" She questioned annoyingly.

Heero looked at her noticing her angered eyes. "I didn't question you because you came in. You came in because you had something to say, so say it." He said.

Cagalli looked at Heero seeing his calm, serious eyes. She was silent for the brief moment as she was lost in the gleam of his eyes. She calmed down and approached him. The calmness she felt gave way to a stranger nervousness the closer she walked toward him. She stopped standing next to the device on his right. "I…I came to tell you that Duo said he'd be back before sunset."

Heero sighed and continued typing on the computer, seemingly ignoring her comment.

Cagalli stood near him wondering what to do or say next. She looked up at Wing Zero remembering what had happened. She smiled slightly looking at him. "Heero,"

"What?" He asked flatly.

"I wanted to thank you for saving me. I didn't get a chance to when we docked, and then with all of meetings and what not."

Heero stopped typing and looked at her. "There's no need to thank me. I had the chance to save you and I did."

Cagalli looked at him confusingly. "Why shouldn't I? You're pretty much the best pilot I've met! Why can't you just take a simple thank you?" she asked angrily. She couldn't believe Heero's personality. _"Who does he think he is? What's with him?"_

Heero scoffed smiling slightly. He stood up looking at her. "You claim that I'm strong. But in the end I'm weak. The ones who are strong are those that can find ways to end conflicts without battle. People like your father."

Cagalli was shocked to hear those words coming out of Heero's lips. "How..? Why would you say that? I mean he's doing nothing but leading a nation of peace but in the end all he is, is a hypocrite! He had those weapons like the Strike and those other suits made! How can he be strong when people like you are the one fighting the battles while he does nothing but sits there being a hypocrite? How could you say such a thing?" Cagalli grew angered at the thought about her father being someone that should have more praise than soldiers who lay down their lives. She tightened her fist and instinctively swung, wanting to hit something to relieve her anger.

She felt her fist stop before she could hit anything. She opened her eyes to see Heero holding her hand by the wrist stopping her. She had tears building up, ready to fall.

Seeing her beginning to cryb Heero felt his kind-hearted personality surfacing. He had always hated the sight of people suffering, even if it was someone crying. He sighed gently before speaking. "You wouldn't understand until it was too late and your hands were stained with too much blood. It's something someone with a strong heart shouldn't need to learn." Heero looked into her eyes. He moved his free hand and caught her tears.

Cagalli looked at him shocked by his actions. Her eyes shined showing slight happiness from his words. Heero looked at her with shocked eyes for the first time. He looked at Cagalli, but for a brief moment he saw a glimpse of Relena showing the same brief happiness in her eyes the day he caught her tears. Heero let go of her hand and turned away facing the screen trying to ignore what had happened.

Cagalli lowered her hand and looked down blushing slightly. She had never been alone with him for more than just a while, but this time it was different. Something in her stomach didn't feel right, but at the same time it felt kind of good. She smiled and walked back, pointing her thumb toward the exit. "I guess I should go now, you probably got a lot to do. I guess I'll…talk to you later then…"

Cagalli walked up to the keypad and stood there absentmindedly. _"I…I don't know the code!"_ She sighed and turned around. "Hey…could you unlock the door for me? I kind of got in without figuring out what the code was…" Cagalli closed her eyes looking down, embarrassed by the fact she came in without knowing the code to get out.

Heero turned and walked toward the door calmly. Cagalli looked at him while he approached her, hypnotized by his eyes. She moved aside so he could put in the code. Cagalli looked down but her eyes moved up catching a glimpse of the code. Heero noticed her eyeing his input of the code, but didn't seem concerned by her knowing it.

The doors opened and Heero left heading back to the computer and his suit.

"Well thanks again…See ya." Cagalli said as she left.

The doors shut and the keypad locked once again. Heero sat at the computer and sent the file to Kira. With his debt paid Erica and Lord Uzumi, he looked up at Zero. Heero briefly thought about what happened with Cagalli when he saw Relena's face. He pushed those thoughts aside and pressed a few buttons on his laptop. Wing Zero's eyes glowed briefly, communicating with Heero. "I know Zero. It's only going to get more difficult." Heero looked at the screen. The screen displayed a News image of a large damaged area. The damage was too great for any conventional suit in the Era.

"He's here." A sense of worry and concern grew with those words. Heero tried to push those worries away and focus on what he had to do then and there, but deep down he knew what was building up inside his gut and heart: Doubt, a soldier's worst enemy.

* * *

><p>ORBs city life seemed like any other peaceful city, seemingly void of any and all essence of war. Walking on the sidewalk through the crowds, Duo took his time and enjoyed the brief moment of being in a city that didn't have such a prominent sign of war and terror. He smiled seeing some kids gathered around a display for a new toy. Duo continued walking along as he looked around.<p>

"Now where is 26th street…? She said it'd be at the corner between 26th and 23rd."

Duo looked at all the signs counting the numbers. Noticing the numbers were in an odd order, he turned around looking at the numbers behind. "16th…18th huh?" Duo turned around hearing a mass of commotion from the pedestrians. He watched as a majority flung their phones around trying to get a signal. "What the hell?"

Duo pulled his phone out and looked at the screen with wide eyes. The screen displayed white-noise fuzz and all that came out of the speakers was static. He looked around holding the phone to his ear trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Up there!" someone shouted.

Everyone looked up to see some machine flying high above them. While most of people were confused and curious to some degree, Duo watch in horror seeing a mobile suit that looked strangely familiar to a damned suit he knew all too well. "Heero?" he questioned.

"Oh my god!" Someone shouted

The massive television in the city changed from its normal display to a news channel that reported on the destruction of a city. Duo turned looking at the large screen. His body froze seeing the destruction. His right arm fell down, shocked by the newscast. "What the hell's going on…?"

Duo stumbled when someone bumped into him. His hand loosened, dropping his phone.

"You'll find out soon enough…"

Duo's eyes widened. He looked to his right, then his left, trying to find the person who replied. Duo caught a glance of someone in a large black trench coat. The person had a pair of glasses on that covered his eyes from Duo's view. Duo looked back up to see the person smiling. _"Well you're sticking out like a sore thumb." _The person spoke but mouthed his message. Narrowing his eyes Duo tried to read his lips figuring out what it was the person was saying. He pointed his finger down as he stared at Duo, directing him toward the sidewalk.

Staring down, Duo noticed a small thumb drive a foot away from where he dropped his phone, next to his left foot. He looked back up to see the person now gone. Duo grunted, gritting his teeth in anger. He knelt down and grabbed his phone and the thumb drive. He stood on the sidewalk looking at the drive in his left hand, wondering what it contained.

"_Hurry up._ Just, what does that mean? And what the hell was that black Wing Zero doing up there?"

Duo tightened his fist around the drive and stormed off heading back to the mobile suit factory.

* * *

><p>The news report of the destruction spread throughout all networks worldwide. It was nearly impossible to avoid knowing what happened.<p>

That afternoon, Duo returned to the room looking up at Heero with a serious glare. "What the hell's going on here Heero…? I go out to find some information and parts and I run into some freak of nature that hands me this!" Duo held up the thumb drive to Heero. "And what's with Wing Zero flying over the city like that huh?" Duo asked angrily. Duo was too frustrated to notice Wing Zero had some of its armor and components opened for repairs or resupply, making it impossible for it to have flown over the city. He looked at Heero's eyes, knowing he had something he kept to himself.

Heero looked down from his suit. He sighed and lowered down using the zip line. Duo rushed toward him demanding answers. Before Heero could reply to Duo's demands, he stared at the door.

"Hmm…"

Duo looked at him and turned around seeing Mu, Murrue, Badgiruel, and Lord Uzumi standing by the door. His emotions calmed and his head began calculating the situation they faced with the four at the door. _"Shit…"_

"We need to talk," Murrue said in a serious tone.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you enjoy the Chapter, sorry for the extremely long wait. Read and Review please.<strong>


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Doubt and Trust

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own gundam wing or SEED. But the Original Characters that show up are mine.

Author's Note: **My first note is that I would like to apologize for last chapter's author note before the chapter began it stated "****this chapter and the next which I will be posting a long with this chapter." At the time I had thought of writing two chapters and double posting but by the time I had finished chapter 11 I had my fill of writing for that day and didn't want to continue further.**

**Words of warning before you begin reading. This chapter is very long and while it does have continuation and progression, it is DIALOGE HEAVY. While I was writing this chapter I realized that I did not really depict a solid goal for the characters yet. I do apologize for not seeing this sooner and that I had kept giving more and more questions compared to answers. Hopefully with this chapter, along with a few upcoming ones, I'll be able to finally and clearly give goals. I sincerely apologize once again for this crucial delay and mistake. Enjoy.**

Suffocating. If one word could sum up how the room felt at this time, it was suffocating.

Heero stood calmly in front of the four: Murrue, Mu, Natarle, and Lord Uzumi. He showed no sign of fear or any other weak emotions like nervousness or unease. While he waited for one of the four to speak up, his mind was already calculating, determining what he would do next, and tried to anticipate what he would be asked. The situation he was faced with was no surprise. _"This meeting was inevitable. Although, to think the gundam would fly over the city like that…just what is his goal? I'll have to see what's in the drive Duo brought, but to do that, I need to get rid of them…"_ Even with the minor miscalculation, Heero looked at Murrue and the others determined to get through the questions so he could get to the real culprit.

The situation in the room was less than pleasant. There was an obvious eerie tension that kept everyone silent for a brief moment. Everyone seemed to bide time, not wanting to bite the bullet and begin, preferring to wait and see who would talk first. Heero looked at the four during this silence, glancing at each of them carefully. Murrue seemed to be the most nervous out of the four; she often tightened her lips together and sighed softly, yet frequently. Her eyes tried to keep their sights on the two, yet she averted them away briefly at times. Mu seemed the most relaxed out of the three soldiers, but there were things that Heero noticed that said otherwise. He held a discontent look on his face. Mu tried to hide it, but to Heero it was obvious that Mu didn't like the situation any better than he liked being the subject of the impending conversation, noticing frequent movement with his hands and light movement of his foot like he was ready to bolt out of there.

Natarle appeared to be the most agitated out of the group. She glanced back between Heero and Duo, narrowing her eyes. When Heero's gaze met hers, it only encouraged her to narrow her eyes even more, exhibiting more anger towards him. Heero glanced at her fists seeing it tightening and loosening, and then tightening again. Looking over at Lord Uzumi, Heero noticed he was the most calm out of all four of them. His eyes showed just what he wanted Heero to see; curiosity. A small thought crept into Heero's mind about what he would have to give up if confronted by Uzumi about his and Duo's origins and where they were actually from.

"_Nervous, anxious, anger, and curiosity…" _ He briefly thought to himself.

Heero glanced over at Duo, briefly before returning his stare toward the four.

Duo stood by Heero, but kept his own distance away. He looked at Heero and the four. His stomach stirred from discomfort over the situation. Sure, he may have known that there was another person to be on the lookout for, but Duo couldn't get the thought that Heero hid important details about this new suit out of his mind, but at the same time it seemed he was more focused on how the situation now, was going to be diffused.

"_I should've pushed him to tell me more; all I worried about was that mad scientist. Guess I'm not as great as I used to be"_ Duo scoffed quietly, finding slight humor in his own faults and choices.

They had a bad hand and were backed into a corner. Despite his concern over Heero's secrecies, he was ready to back Heero's play, going along with whatever his friend told the four. Duo put the thumb drive he picked up from the strange person in his pocket, hiding it for another time after the situation was resolved. While Duo remained somewhat optimistic about the situation, he knew that it was one difficult situation to get out of, peacefully.

"_There's no way out of this now Heero. This isn't going to be easy…"_

After the lengthy silence Murrue sighed, taking it upon herself to begin the list of questions. She stepped forward addressing the two "From the look you're giving me I guess you already know what happened, and you know the severity of the situation."

Heero and Duo remained silent but nodded, confirming Murrue's assumption.

"Then you know why we've come to speak with you personally," Lord Uzumi commented.

"Yea," Heero said flatly.

"That's pretty much a given, ain't it?" Duo commented trying his hand at lightening up the situation.

Natarle grunted angrily at how Heero didn't show any real concern over the situation he was faced with. _"Look at them! This is a serious matter yet they act like they don't give a damn! Heero's just brushing over it and Duo's making a joke of it!" _She never liked them, from the minute they encountered each other to this very moment. She had difficulties breaking regulations. That was an obvious issue noticed by many of the crewmembers around her. _"I knew you were someone that couldn't be trusted and this just proves it!"_ she thought angrily. Just mere seconds after her thought, Badgiruel lashed out, unable to contain her feelings about Heero and the incidents separated. "Why were you flying above the city like that?" she asked demanding an explanation.

"I wasn't."

"Like I'd believe that, you—"

"Uh Lieutenant, I'm not sure how their suits work, but judging from how his suit looks, he wasn't going anywhere for a while." Mu interjected, pointing to Wing Zero.

Badgiruel looked up at Wing Zero seeing its armor and compartments opened and revealed slightly, seeing the inner frame and components to Wing Zero's machine cannons. It was difficult for Natarle to not notice the obvious signs that it was being repaired or resupplied. She stepped down, admitting defeat from her false allegations. Even though Natarle failed to pin anything on Heero, she was damn sure to nail Duo to something. She pointed at him, looking at him angrily.

"What about you, huh? Who let you off the base? You didn't have any authorization to!"

Duo gritted his teethed at Natarle, yelling back. "Well last time I check I'm not official a part of your crew so why should I?"

"Why you little prick! We let you on board! If it weren't for us you'd be dead."

"Well, being dead's got to be a lot better than listening to you talking!"

Natarle lost it. She raised her fist and tried to get in Duo's face.

"Lieutenant!" Murrue shouted extending her arm out in front of Natarle, stopping her from proceeding any further. Duo and Natarle quieted down after her interruption. Both of them looked the other way trying to avoid eye contact with one another.

Murrue glanced at Natarle, sighing slightly. She was tired of her outburst and distrust towards Heero and Duo, even after all this time. Murrue looked at Heero. She knew what she had to get, the truth. She knew it wouldn't be easy but the situation she face was something that was even more pressuring. She took a moment to contemplate what the situation was really about. Even though she had an agenda, she had a good basic idea of what those two were like, and what happened didn't seem to fit together either of their personalities. _"Could this be related to one of those people they're searching for?"_ she questioned quietly to herself.

She remembered how Heero responded in past conversations and got straight to the point. "We know that you didn't launch out of here. That, we can clearly see, but what we don't know is why there is another suit identical to yours out there. We need to know if there is something important that needs our attention." She explained.

"Due fact that this unit flew close to ORB, endangering its people, I'm inclined to put all your access to our resources on hold until the situation is resolved and we all know what's really happening. As you can imagine, something like this can stir up quite a commotion. Not to mention that the city of Ciyalavanna was destroyed, wiped out completely. Now under normal circumstances this wouldn't be something that would be considered worldwide news immediately, but given the damage found at the scene, it raises a lot of suspicion between you two. Considering that your units, based on reports, are the only suits supposedly capable of having such destructive power, specifically you, Heero and you're mobile suit, the machine known as Wing Zero." Uzumi stated harboring a troubled expression on his face.

Heero listened closely as he kept his eyes closed from time to time. He had a good hunch as to why Lord Uzumi was so troubled by recent events. He had the safety of millions to consider after all.

"Understood…" Heero stated, agreeing to the terms that his and Duo's access to ORB's resources would be restricted.

The four adults were surprised by his quick decision.

Duo gave a baffling look at Lord Uzumi. "Isn't that a little extreme? I mean we didn't do anything."

Uzumi looked at Duo with indifferent eyes after hearing his words. "My decision stands, unless you'd like to share something with me that you've been hiding, of course." Uzumi's tone lightened at the end as he smiled. He wanted to know more about the two. Heero and Duo looked at Uzumi, eyeing him momentarily. Both pilots knew Uzumi suspected something more of them. Murrue, Mu, and Natarle felt a change in air. They tensed slightly upon hearing Uzumi's last few words.

Mu cleared his throat and raised one arm flipping it over palm faced-up while resting the other on his side. "Look, we're not blaming you for doing something you evidently didn't do, but there are obviously some things that you guys left out when you explained your situation to us. Just come clean. That's all we're asking."

Duo glanced at Heero cautiously. He knew anything he had to say wouldn't give much defense on their part. He knew they wanted to know more, and to be honest, so did he. _"Come on Heero this is no time to keep the secrets, just give them enough so we can go on! I know you're not stupid enough to give them everything but get them off our backs!"_

Heero was silent as always while everyone waited for his response. Heero looked at the four speaking calmly, replying to their questions. "One of the people we're looking for is here. That's all I'll tell you."

Murrue looked at Heero, shocked. _"I thought so…"_ Murrue blinked quickly leaving her thoughts. She grew worried over the situation. She had witness how the two battled and hated the thought of seeing them battle someone from their Era. It was an event she dreaded, but knew it would come sooner or later.

Uzumi stood patiently noticing that some information was withheld from him by both the Earth forces and the two pilots. _"The situation has altered quite interestingly."_ He thought. Uzumi didn't harbor too much annoyance from the withheld information. By all means, as a leader, he knew that in war, withheld information could be a great asset. But even though he understood them to some degree, it still left him with many puzzling questions as to who Heero and Duo truly were. He glanced at the two gundam pilots, noticing that Duo had looked at Heero multiple times since the conversation started.

"_I can understand their reasons, but what about you, Heero? You contain secrets that even your friend doesn't seem to know all the details about. You're becoming more mysterious the longer you're here." _He stared at Heero curiously as more questions began filling his mind.

Uzumi stepped forth "Why can't you tell us anymore than that, Heero? It seems you have more information about this person than you'd like to share. I'd like to know why." Uzumi stated. Uzumi's curiosity about Heero and Duo's origins calmed him down, somewhat. "It makes me wonder what kind of information you hold that you have clearly involved the Earth forces to withhold vital information about Duo and yourself." Uzumi narrowed his eyes at the three soldiers.

Murrue and Mu froze upon Uzumi's comment whilst Natarle remained relatively calm. Murrue turned toward Uzumi, looking at him nervously, the signs of secrecy now very much apparent.

Murrue smiled nervously, feeling the time slipping away before things had to be revealed. "Lord Uzumi…we…we didn't tell you…"

Uzumi raised his hand, stopping her. "I do not want to hear it from you; it is those two who have peeked my curiosity. So tell me, Heero. Just who are you? I respected your privacy and kept my own suspicions to myself up until now that is." Uzumi kept his stare upon Heero's eyes noticing how the young man had such unwavering eyes. It astounded him that Heero was so determined to keep his secrets. _"Even now he has the eyes of someone that has much to hide. I wonder if it truly is…"_

Heero remained still keeping his calm collective demeanor. "Hmm…"

Outside the specified room, Cagalli rushed to the door pushing in the code she memorized when she observed Heero earlier that day. She waited to see if the keypad would verify the code and open the door, but to her surprise, the screen remain static with a 'LOCKED' message displayed in front of a florescent red background.

"Grr….Damn it!" Cagalli yelled out. She typed the code in once more trying to get into the room. Her attempt resulted in another failure as the message remained the same. _"Did he change the code?"_ she questioned.

Growing agitated Cagalli balled up a fist and slammed it on the keypad, hoping to break the damn thing so it would open the door.

"If you're going to try and open the door that way then you're only going to succeed in trapping them in there…"

Cagalli turned around seeing Erica locking up a door to a small office space. Erica approached her, smiling at her. Cagalli narrowed her eyes and pointed to the door. "Open it for me, Erica! My dad's in there along with the Archangel's captain! I want to know what they're asking Heero! Why are they even questioning him? It's not his fault! It can't be!"

Erica shook her head and sighed. "Princess, what your father does is his own business and I'm sure that they're talking to Heero for an important reason. Why don't you wait until tomorrow when they'll be done talking? It's getting late." Erica scanned around seeing a majority of the mechanics leaving to go home and get some rest.

Cagalli looked at her furiously. "My dad has no right to question him like that!" Cagalli heard of the news of Ciyalavanna's destruction and the mobile armor that flew over ORB. Cagalli, like many were stunned by the news. Many people from both the Archangel and ORB began suspecting Heero, speculating if he was the one that did those things. Cagalli had a sickening feeling that her father would do something like this and she grew more discomforting seeing the door locked and her access from Heero taken away. "I know what my dad's talking about in there and he can't do that! He can't go blaming someone!"

Erica looked at the young girls eyes seeing a burning desire. She looked down at the ground thinking back to the moment she learned about both incidents. She sighed and looked at Cagalli. "I'm sure Lord Uzumi is just asking Heero some questions, you know, getting his side of the story? Look, we know he couldn't have done it. He would have needed to launch, and to do that he would have needed clearance. Now come on, I'll have someone escort you home, if you'd like." Erica gently pushed Cagalli urging her to leave.

Cagalli moved out of Erica's reach tightening both fist, showing more anger and hostility. "I'm not going anywhere!" she yelled.

Erica shook her head. She looked at her watch and sighed. "Fine, stay here if you'd like. The nightshift doesn't start for another two hours. So you'll be here alone for a while."

Cagalli remained deathly silent as she glared at Erica, watching her leave. Once she was out of her line of sight, Cagalli calmed down some, glancing at the door. She was confident that Heero had nothing to do with any of the incidents that occurred today. Cagalli waited patiently, waiting for the door to open to see what they had talked about.

"_I know he couldn't have done it. He couldn't have…"_ she thought to herself.

Uzumi sighed as he glanced at his watch, seeing time slipping by like the air that brushed through him. He didn't have much more time to wait and play games with Heero and wait for him to give him what he wanted. Uzumi spoke, looking into Heero's eyes.

"I know you're a man that has experienced much. I can see that in your eyes. I can also see that your eyes bear much kindness. I'm sure such a man like you with such kindness would hate to see more people die just because of a couple secrets."

Heero looked into Uzumi's eyes. _"He's good…"_ He thought.

Heero was impressed by the fact Uzumi could see through his eyes. Even he knew that eyes couldn't lie all the time. Most of the time, to those who are trained to see it, eyes could tell them everything they needed about a person. Thinking about what Uzumi said, Heero considered revealing his and Duo's origins, but noticed a gleam in Uzumi's eyes. Heero sighed quietly before closing his eyes and smiling slightly. Heero turned around walking away heading back to Wing Zero, surprising everyone there.

Duo watched as Heero left, puzzled by the fact that he didn't answer. _"What is that guy doing, he knows as well as I do that we can only do so much and get so far in our suits with the way they are…so why?" _Duo questioned silently.

"Heero!" he called out.

Heero stopped, looking at Duo, "What?" he asked.

"Aren't you going to say anything…?"

Heero looked back at Uzumi seeing his eyes changed slightly when he chose to left without answering his question. "He already knows." Heero replied, smiling.

Heero's words shocked everyone. They quickly turned, looking at Lord Uzumi.

Murrue, Mu, Natarle, and Duo stared at Lord Uzumi with wide eyes, wondering how he could have known when no one said a word about anything related to where Heero and Duo were from.

Uzumi smiled at Heero, finding it both amazing and humorous that Heero had read him so well.

"_That boy could do so much for this kind of world. A kind heart like his is needed in a world full of hearts tainted by revenge."_

Uzumi looked at the four, chuckling slightly. "Come now, do you really take me for a fool? I had my suspicions that Heero and Duo were not from this place, or rather this Era. The way those two presented themselves when we first met told me they had experienced something no one had experienced before. Their battle record so far, along with their unique mobile suit has solidified that assumption. My priority may be the protection and upkeep of this nation, but I am not ignorant of what goes on around me. The world is in peril of losing itself after all."

Uzumi paused looking at Heero and Duo. "But I believe it is the younger generation that can shine their light to lead this darkened world to peace. Maybe the answer we all need is an answer from those who have such a different perspective of our world, our war. Young men, like yourselves."

Heero and Duo looked at Lord Uzumi intently. They saw a great leader, but a leader with whom hands are tied. Uzumi was someone that truly wished for peace, they saw that. But he was torn by preventing bloodshed and causing it.

"I do have one final question for you, Heero. How much do you know about this mobile armor that flew over the city and the destruction of Ciyalavanna?"

Heero turned slightly, looking at him. "All I know is that we're here because of the pilot of that suit. I'm not sure if the two incidents are connected, but if I'd have to guess, I'd believe so."

The four turned their heads so quickly it seemed their necks were going to snap. They stared at Heero shockingly.

Duo was the most stunned. _"What the Hell…!?"_

Giving one final look at Heero, Uzumi saw that it was the only bit of information he had on these incidents. He turned around and began walking out. "Very well, Heero. I appreciate your honesty with me. You and Duo may continue as you please. Rest assured, your secret will remain safe with me." Uzumi headed for the door feeling somewhat at eased by the fact that he was now on an intimate level with Heero in that they shared a secret, though his heart had feelings of doubt and fear at the thought that Heero did not know much more about this machine or the person that piloted it.

Uzumi stopped and spoke softly. "Well are you coming? Or would you rather remain here for the night, Captain?"

Murrue's turned her attention to Lord Uzumi. Despite her desire to know why Heero withheld information from her, she felt the heaviness of tired and drowsiness overtake her body. She sighed and looked at Mu and Natarle.

"It's late; we'll head back to the ship, that's an order."

Mu's eyes brightened momentarily at the sound of heading back to his own quarters for a good night of rest and relaxation.

Natarle looked at Heero and Duo momentarily before looking at Murrue, speaking,

"But Captain! What about—"

Natarle felt a hand gripping her left shoulder. Glancing over she noticed Mu. Mu smiled and at her.

"Come on now Natarle, you heard what Heero said, and I think that's more than enough confirmation. It's clear that neither of them knew much about the city or what happened. Besides, we all were looking for the same answer, weren't we?"

Natarle stopped. The thought of trying to figure out everything meant nothing to her in those few seconds. She looked at Mu and quickly averted her gaze away, blushing slightly. "I-I guess so…"

Mu smiled and let go of her as he walked ahead following Lord Uzumi and Murrue. Natarle sighed quietly before following soon after.

The three followed Lord Uzumi as he opened the door releasing the permanent lock he had put in place when they entered. To his surprise, Cagalli stood by the door looking at him with angered eyes. Uzumi sighed looking at his daughter. "What is it Cagalli, shouldn't you be home?" he questioned.

Cagalli ignored her father's question and tried to head toward the door, but she was too late, only able to catch a glimpse of Heero staring at the door as it shut closed. She gritted her teeth angrily as she looked at her father.

"Open the door! "She yelled out.

Uzumi remained calm. He looked at the soldiers smiling. "I hope you have a good evening, don't mind her. Please, go on ahead."

Being full grown adults, Murrue, Mu, and Natarle could sense what would come next. They quickly parted ways with Lord Uzumi heading back to the Archangel. As they headed their way, all three soldiers heard a brief moment of yelling from Uzumi and then cringed as they heard a loud slap that echoed in the somewhat empty room.

"Poor girl…" Mu commented glancing back to see a fading picture of the father and daughter.

"She deserved it if you asked me, following a parents command is no different than following a superior officer's. If you don't follow it, you get punished, simple as that." Natarle said.

Murrue gave a worried glance at Natarle before she left the two, heading back to the ship at a faster pace. There was a small moment of silence as the Lieutenant looked at Murrue smiling. "I would hate to have been a kid in her family, if you know what I mean." He whispered.

Murrue didn't say a word. She giggled softly nodding in agreement. The two walked back to the ship nearing closer to one another for a brief moment before boarding the ship and heading their separate ways.

Uzumi looked at his daughter angrily.

"What are you doing here so late; you know that you're not allowed in here this late for a reason!"

Cagalli pouted trying to keep herself calm. He right check flushed red from her father's hit. She hated her father's slaps. No matter how old she seemed to get, her father's slap brought her back to being a child, barely able to hold in her instinct to cry.

"Now, come a long." Uzumi said, demandingly.

Cagalli was angered with her father, and herself. She hated being hit so much. She gritted her teeth together looking up at her father. _"Sometimes I wish you were dead!"_ she thought in the mist of her anger. Cagalli turned around and gave a final glance at the door and thought of Heero before following her father.

Inside the room, a new silence had covered the two pilots as they didn't utter one word to each other. Duo looked at Heero confused and angered, but he knew arguing at this time of day would achieve nothing. Even though he knew arguing would be pointless he had to get to the bottom of things and figure out what was going on and what everything meant.

"So when were you going to tell me that this was the guy responsible for us being here, huh?"

"It didn't concern you at the time…"

Duo narrowed his eyes frustrated with Heero's personality. "Look I've noticed you changing slowly since we've got here and I know you're used to working alone. I understand that more than anyone else in this world, but like it or not Heero, I'm here too so that means what information you got, you should be sharing it with me! I thought we were partners here man!"

Heero remained silent as usual, but soon spoke, responding to Duo's words. "Understood…"

After his moment of yelling, Duo sighed looking a Heero seeing a troubled look on his friend. "So you really don't know more about this guy huh?"

"Nope,"

Duo sighed and pulled out the thumb drive. "Here,"

Duo threw the drive over to Heero, who caught it with ease.

"What's in it?" Heero asked.

"Hell if I know. You can spend all night looking at what's inside," Duo yawned and stretched his arms. "I'm headed out and getting some shut eye."

Heero watched as Duo left saying nothing more to him. He knew Duo was angered, most likely from not being told everything. Heero didn't blame Duo for being angered. As long as he had been a soldier, keeping things to himself was a necessity, and out of that necessity came a loner-type personality that saw secrecy as something that was a part of his lifestyle. He wasn't used to sharing his secrets. A majority of his life was need-to-know, and in some cases he preferred it as such. But even though he was used to fighting alone and fending for himself, Heero understood the need for teamwork in the situation they were facing. He knew he wouldn't admit it in the open, but to him Duo was the closest person he had to a best friend. Out of all the pilots, Duo was the one that he seemed to spend the most time with.

Heero looked down at the drive as the door closed, staring at it bewildered by its unknown contents.

"Hmm…."

Heero grabbed the zip line and headed up to Wing Zero's cockpit, grabbing his laptop. Sitting in the cockpit seat he inserted the drive in. His eyes looked over the screen as the contents of the drive displayed itself in forms of 0's and 1's.

"This is going to take a while…" he commented noticing that the ways the files were encrypted were foreign to him. For the remainder of that evening, Heero typed the night away on his laptop as he attempted to crack the information in the drive.

Up in the PLANTs, Patrick Zala sat behind his desk, staring into the eyes of this strange old man. He looked down at the paper work on his desks for a few moments. Patrick glanced back and forth between Yagami and the reports. Patrick finally put the papers down and looked at Yagami. To Patrick, Yagami was more than a strange old man. It seemed like a huge risk. Though there was the chance that he could get what he wanted out of the old man and pave his way into becoming the Chairman, there lied the risk of what if? What if this man didn't pay off? What if he was just some idiot that would end up wasting his time? Patrick never felt so much discomfort in his life. He had "bought" the man's word on an impulse, due to his distraught demeanor at the time upon learning of his son's defeat and possible death.

Patrick sighed putting the papers aside, trying to calm down. He glanced up at Yagami, staring at him with half doubtful eyes.

"Since you're now working for me, I want all the information you have on those two units, the Deltas. From what you said when we met, you seem like your well acquainted with those blasted machines."

Yagami smiled as he grinned evilly at Patrick. He sighed and pulled something out of his lab coat. He revealed the object to be a small microchip. "If you'd please, Councilman."

Patrick looked at the chip and looked up at Yagami curiously. Patrick was unsure of what was in the chip but it had to be something pertaining to the machines in some way or another. Moving aside he allowed Yagami access to his computer.

Yagami stood behind the desk and inserted the chip into Patrick's computer. The screens changed rapidly as Yagami opened up multiple files. Glancing over toward the large monitor at mounted on the wall to the far right, he smiled sending the computer's display to the monitor.

Patrick stared bewildered by the contents displayed on the larger monitor. "What's the meaning of all this? I told you to give me all the information you had on those two units doctor! Do not waste my time!"

Yagami chuckled, seeing how impatient the Councilman was. "Calm down. I'm doing as you requested. Now if you'd pay attention to this file…" Grabbing the mouse, Yagami clicked on one of the multiple folders shown on the window. Patrick watched curiously as an image of the Delta one filled the screen.

"What you call Delta One is actually known as the XXXG – 00W0 Wing Gundam Zero, but it is more commonly known as Wing Zero. This machine is the father of all gundams. The suit is hailed as one of the most powerful mobile suits known to man back where I am from."

Patrick looked over at Yagami raising and eyebrow. "Yes…you claimed that those units and pilots, along with yourself are not from here. So, clarify for me, where are you from?" Patrick may have been misled into accepting the doctor due to his words at the time, but now Patrick had time to consider his options more deeply. "Don't take me for a fool, Yagami."

Yagami chuckled slightly at his last words, nodding accordingly. "Of course, of course. I should have gone into more detail about what I said earlier. The truth is, Patrick, we all come from another Era; a different time and space. Our technologies and suits differ in many ways. Now if you don't have any more questions I'd like to continue since you're so determined to know about the gundams."

Yagami was calm as day when he told Patrick the blunt truth. He smiled looking at the screen silently. _"Yes, take your time to soak in all that information, Councilman. You'll be in for quite a shock when you learn what the Gundam is truly capable of…"_

Patrick's eyes shot wide, he was generally shocked. He couldn't believe his ears. The old man and the two mobile suits were from a completely different world? _"How in the world is that possible?"_

He blinked multiple times trying to double check what he heard. He looked around quickly and glanced back at the monitor seeing the image of Delta One—no, Wing Zero. He sighed quietly. Patrick was rattled with so many thoughts about Yagami's words. _"Now is not the time for questions!" _He glanced down at the picture of his wife and young son. Patrick looked up clearing his throat, choosing to hold whatever questions he had about Yagami's statement until later on.

"Continue."

Yagami nodded and smiled, continuing on. He continued going through various photos of Wing Zero in combat. He explained about each and every one of Wing Zero's abilities. How fast it was, how the reaction time was faster than most suits in both After Colony and Cosmic Era. Yagami skipped details when an image of the cockpit showed, grinning momentarily before continuing on to the next topic of his explanation. Patrick was intrigued but he felt unconvinced that he needed to be deeply concerned about the suit now that he knew what it, as a machine could do. Yagami moved from one image to another showing Patrick Wing Zero's weapons.

"Its main arsenal is the twin buster rifle. It is a powerful rifle that can wipe out dozens of mobile suits with ease. The unit also contains a set of powerful machine cannons whose rounds are capable of shredding a suit to pieces. Rounding out the armaments are a set of Beam sabers and its shield which can be used both defensively and offensively."

Patrick gritted his teeth together being reminded about the damned rifle and what it cost ZAFT. He looked at Yagami unimpressed.

"This is informative and all, Yagami, but it seems that this mobile suit has a clear weakness. Reports have indicated that the rifle has a time lapse where the suit is vulnerable. The one thing you have failed to answer for me, Yagami, is how the armor is impenetrable by nearly all of our current weaponry!" He yelled.

Yagami turned looking at Patrick. "Yes, no suit is without its faults, sir. While I do agree that the rifle is one of the more minor flaws. For this unit, the crucial flaw is the pilot." His finger lowered down on the button, about to continue to the next image when he stopped at the last minute.

"Hmm? What do you mean…?"

Yagami sighed taking a moments rest. "The suit has fallen into many skilled pilots in my Era, but right now it's in the hands of a pilot known as Heero Yuy."

Patrick was shocked to hear the pilot's name. "How do you know this?"

The doctor chuckled, coughing slightly as he continued to take his time. _"Blast this body…it's been a nuisance ever since the accident."_

"Answer me old man!" Patrick demanded.

"Can't you respect your elders? I can't keep talking all day like you young man." Yagami exhaled briefly and feeling rejuvenated for the moment, he continued.

"The pilot has made a name for himself, ending a long conflict between factions. But I know the pilot not only because of this. I know the pilot because I helped make him what he is: The Perfect Soldier!"

Patrick pulled out his pistol from one of the compartments in his desk. He looked at Yagami angrily and pointed his weapon at the old man. "You're a spy! Why else would you be here? You're with those pilots!"

Yagami smiled calmly showing no fear of being shot. "Come now, Patrick. Do you really think I would help Heero after all I've shown you? I may be old, but you're the one who's acting senile. I want him dead as much as you." He said in a serious tone.

"That's why I came here in the first place. I came here to trade information. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. I'll help you develop your new machines into a fearsome army, and you will lose no men on the battlefield." Yagami's tone lightened.

"What are you suggesting?"

"There's a system in Wing Zero that I can remake and modify. Once I modify it and combine it along with an AI program, your new line of mass produced units can destroy your enemies while at the same time you will not lose your men. No pilots will be needed when I am finished. That is…if you allow me." Yagami smirked looking at Patrick with devious eyes.

For what seemed like the hundredth time, Yagami shocked Patrick with his elusive words and promises. The thought of being able to eliminate the natural's forces while at the same time, keeping theirs alive seemed too great of an offer. If he did accept the offer his chances at being chairman would skyrocket. There were so many supporters who would desire for a leader who solved the Naturals problem and save Coordinators at the same time. Despite this unusual blessing placed before him, Patrick was cautious.

"What's your angle? What do you want?" Patrick demanded cocking the pistol and aiming it at Yagami's head.

"I already told you. I just want a chance to construct a mobile suit that would put our enemies in their graves. I will make a mobile suit superior to Wing Zero in every aspect, even that armor you are so concerned about will be a problem of the past. We have a common enemy do we not?" Yagami offered his hand.

Patrick felt hot. His body heated up and he felt sick. He never felt this way before when he decided on a deal with anybody, but something about Yagami's offer seemed too enticing to pass up. He lowered his pistol and placed it on his desk. He took a firm hold of Yagami's hand, shaking it, agreeing.

"We do have a common enemy. I'll see to it that you're put at the head of X09 and X10 projects. But I do have one test for you, to prove your worth."

Yagami raised an eye brow curious as to what the Councilman had planned. He watched as Patrick searched through the reports pulling out two sheets presenting them.

"Two of our units are damaged. I want you to design and repair these units. You won't physically be there of course. I want to see if you're worth your weight in gold. If you can construct a design to get these units up and running for our men to use within five days. The department and project will be yours to command. Do we have a deal?"

Yagami took the two sheets from the desk and looked images of the units that were destroyed. _"This idiot's not so dumb after all. I won't be able to give him everything with such a deadline, but I can whip something up with these wreckages. It's only a matter of time and skill of the mechanics that concerns me, but oh well. Sacrifices have to be made."_ He grinned looking at Patrick.

"Who's going to be piloting them?"

"That's to be announced after you complete the task. Now, do we have a deal?" Patrick repeated, his agitation rising.

"I accept your challenge, Patrick,"

Patrick shook his head. He felt an overbearing feeling of confidence fill his being. "No, do not call me that anymore, Yagami. Call me…Chairman Zala." He said boasting at his own assurance that he would become Chairman.

"Of course, Chairman Zala." Yagami humored, chuckling.

Yagami left his office to hold up his end of the deal. He looked down at the suits on the reports smiling. "I'll show you Chairman; I'll show you that even the slightest addition of my technology can become a great asset."

Down on Earth a new day began at the Carpentaria base. Soldiers walked about as they went to their posts and duties. Inside its mobile suit factory, the Buster and Blitz were docked in their standard position, being repaired hastily by the mechanics. Next to the two units was a pile of mobile suit wreckage. Parts of arms, legs, shoulders, and a torso lied about. A large truck backed up, stopping by the wreckage and loading the pieces onto its spacious trunk.

Walking through the base Dearka watched as the men repaired his suit. He stared at it lost in his own thoughts and memories about the previous battles. Noticing slight commotion over the pile of random parts, he walked up to one of the workers, questioning him.

"What are you doing to the Aegis?"

"We were told by the higher ups to collect what parts we could and send it to Gibraltar."

"What?" Dearka questioned confusingly.

"Word is that they're planning on repairing it along with the other weapon from the Earth Alliance."

"The Duel? Does that mean Yzak's better?" Dearka asked loudly.

"Hey don't ask me man, I'm just doing my job, hopefully your friend is better. Well, anyway, I got to go." The worker left Dearka alone to ponder over what just happened and why? Dearka narrowed his eyes confusingly as he thought about what they could do with so many random parts of the Aegis.

"What the hell's going on here…?" Dearka shook his head, giving the incident little to no more thought and headed back to the Buster.

Inside the Carpentaria medical facility, Nicol sat by Athrun's bedside. He was relieved that his friend had made it through two major surgeries, an improvised surgery to keep him alive while on the ship and one final surgery here on the base. Although the surgery was successful and Athrun was not injured in such a manner like Yzak was, there was multiple lacerations on his body that were caused by the shrapnel that impaled themselves into some of Athrun's vital organs. It was a miracle that he had lived. Now Athrun lied bandaged and banged up but alive and recovering. His body was completely bandaged but not so badly as Yzak had been. His face was covered, concealing wounds he received to the face. His left eye remained uncovered but there was an obvious sign of injury due to its dark discoloration. There was an opening for his mouth and nose. He breathed on his own but due to his condition; he was still too weak to wake up from his bout with unconsciousness.

Athrun had two IV's inserted into his veins. One contained fluids to keep him hydrated while another bag contained blood for a transfusion, something that would help him recover the massive blood he lost due to all of the shrapnel penetrations and cuts, along with the blood lost during both surgeries.

Nicol watched Athrun silently seeing his friend's body in such a fearsome condition. Nicol stood looking at Athrun. "I hope you get better soon…I can't stand hospitals. All they remind me of is all the pain we had to go through. You know we can't go on without you, Athrun. You're going to get through this." Nicol began tearing up as his eyes watered. He grabbed his friends hand firmly. He knew there was a chance his words fell on deaf ears, but he had to try. He heard of stories of friends and families waking up from hearing a loved one's words. Nicol didn't care if that was hogwash or if it were true, all he cared about was that it gave him something to hope for.

He looked down crying softly. "Athrun…" He felt so helpless.

Nicol stopped crying and looked at Athrun's hand. "Huh…?"

"N-n-nicol..."

Athrun slowly opened his free eye moving it, but found it difficult and painful to move. He groaned in pain as wave upon wave of unfathomable suffering engulfed every fiber of his body. Nicol was shocked to see Athrun awake but was pained to see his friend suffering so much. He opened the door and looked at a nearby nurse.

"Nurse, help!" he shouted.

The nurse turned and followed Nicol in to see Athrun writhing in pain. She called in the attending doctor as they rushed to quell Athrun's pain. Nicol watched, wondering if they would be able to stop Athrun's pain. Athrun's scream scared Nicol. He tightened his eyes and tried to pray for it to end.

He opened his eyes looking at Athrun. "Hang on, Athrun!" he shouted.

The doctor pulled out a syringe and looked at the level the drug was at before injecting it into one of Athrun's IV tubes. After a few moments of more yelling, Athrun's screams calmed as he felt the drug take effect, his pain now virtually gone.

Nicol smiled when the screaming ended. He looked at Athrun smiling, hopeful that now his friend would be one step closer to full recovery.

While Athrun was making a seemingly fast recovery from his battle injuries, back in Gibraltar Yzak continued to fight and accept the changes that resulted from his injury. Yzak's left arm was healed and he had gone into surgery to attach a prosthetic arm to replace it. He looked down at the arm, staring at it blankly. He growled and pushed the small serving table away from his bed angrily.

The skin tone looked the same and he could move and control it. The attachment was successful and he had control over the arm, but it didn't feel like his arm. Despite all the technological achievements with prosthetics, it couldn't replace the fact that it was a replacement, a reminder of what's gone. Yzak stood up and left his room, in spite of the doctor's orders. He was about to reach for the door with his new arm, but stopped, feeling unusual, using something he felt was foreign to his body

"Damn it!"

Opening the door with his right hand Yzak headed out, trying to find his way out and find out what had happened. He saw a small group of nurses walking down the hall from the left. He had to act quickly if he didn't want to be caught. Looking around he noticed a door nearby on to his right. He rushed to the door opening it and entering, shutting the door nearly all the way, leaving it ajar as he kept an eye on the nurses. Seeing them pass him he waited a few seconds before heading the opposite direction reading the signs quickly and choosing his paths carefully, avoiding personnel by hiding in various rooms.

After a long battle of fighting his way through the exit he was about to leave, no hospital personnel were present at the moment, busy with some commotion in the back. _"My lucky day…"_ Yzak smiled as he reached for the door.

"You're looking well Yzak."

Yzak's eyes widened, noticing the tone and voice.

He turned around and there stood his commander, Rau Le Creuset.

"C-commander, what are you doing here?"

"I was preparing things for Operation Spitbreak when I got word that they were transferring the Aegis over for repairs. I noticed that you weren't in your room."

"Repairs? What the fuck happened?" Yzak tightened his left fist ignoring the fact that it was fake.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Athrun was shot down by the Strike."

"WHAT?" Yzak grunted angrily. He couldn't believe that Athrun was shot down. "Stupid Zala, dying before I get a chance to—"

"He's not dead, Yzak. He's at Carpentaria recovering from serious injuries." Creuset interrupted.

Yzak looked at Crueset blankly confused by his statement. "So…how's he doing?"

"He's fighting. What you need to focus on now is recovering to your absolute best. There's word on the base that the Duel and Aegis going to be repaired. Focus on healing for now Yzak, your body may feel like its fine, but your mind needs just as much time to recover. Take this chance." Crueset puts his hands on Yzak's shoulders smiling at the boy like an encouraging uncle.

Yzak sighed after giving Crueset's words careful thought. "Yes sir!" Yzak saluted the Commander before taking his leave.

Crueset smiled watching the boy leave, but soon his smile faded as he left the hospital with a serious stare on his face.

That afternoon in ORB, Miriallia, Sai, Tolle, and Kuzzey got to visit their parents. They entered the room indicated for the visit and were overjoyed to see their parents there, ready to welcome them with open arms. Each of the teens rushed to their parents arms embracing them. Parent and child celebrated this brief moment of reunion. The teens shared their time together with their parents by sharing tales of their adventures. There was a sense of pride in some of the parents to see their children in uniform, it was both a proud sight but at the same time, the parents knew the dangers soldiers faced out there in combat. The fear and thought of losing their children plagued the back of their minds.

On the Archangel, Flay walked through the halls pushing a cart along as she restocked supplies, putting shampoo and body wash bottles in an upper storage compartment and some towels on the compartment right below it. After completing the chore she found herself alone, walking through the hallways on the ship passing the mess hall which was filled with workers and technicians. Flay passed her friend's room seeing no one there. A thought of regret came to mind as she began realizing how alone she was on this ship. _"I pushed them all away…"_

There was no one to talk with her, no one for her to be with. She was completely alone on the ship despite the few who were present. She no longer had any parents, so why should it matter to her that she was alone now? She sighed sadly and went into Kira's quarters, hoping to have a moment to herself and soak in her own depression.

"Hey, Flay…"

Flay's eyes widened. She turned around seeing Kira sitting at the small desk to the right. She was happy to see Kira on the ship but the simple thought faded when she realized he was here when his parents were probably waiting to see him. She narrowed her eyes, angered by his presence in the room.

"Why…why are you here? Don't you have parents too? Why aren't you seeing them?" she questioned.

Kira stopped typing and gave what Flay said a few moments of thought. Kira sighed as he thought about what his parents would say about him being a pilot of a mobile suit. He couldn't bear to let them see him as a killer, especially a killer of his own friend. He glanced to his right, seeing Birdie, the small lime green robotic bird that was given to him by his friend. Kira thought back to the day he and Athrun parted ways. Seeing the bird flying around was too painful of a reminder for him and so he turned the robotic bird off, something he thought he'd never do in his entire lifetime.

Kira sighed heavily and ignored Flays question. "Look Flay, this thing's taking a bit longer than I thought it would. I got to figure out how this design is going to fit with the mobile suits. I want to finish this before the Archangel leaves. It…needs to be finished."

"Lies!"

Flay gritted her teeth angrily and slammed her hand on the desk staring at Kira. "You feel sorry for me don't you? That's why! That's why you're here." Flay felt overwhelmed with grief and anger. She couldn't make heads or tails about which made her feel worse.

Kira stood up looking at her worried about her.

Flay cried on Kira's body yelling at him reminding him of all of the things he did up until this very moment.

Kira remained silent thinking back to each gruesome memory. He was unsure of himself, unsure if what he wanted out of life now. He looked down to the right silently. He thought about every event that led up to now. He sighed and spoke softly.

"Flay…we have to end this. It was never right to begin with…"

Flay looked up as tears ran down her eyes. She yelled at him madly before leaving the room, leaving Kira alone. Flay ran through the hallway crying. All she could feel was sadness. The ruse she played on Kira to get him with her in this relationship was now gone. Despite the fact that it was just a falsified relationship, she couldn't help herself. Flay had developed feelings for him even if she didn't want to truly admit it. But now, her last hope at having someone to be there for her disappeared with Kira's last words.

Inside the improvised private hangar, Wing Zero stood ready. Its armors and components were placed back to its original positions. It looked as if Heero had done nothing improve his own unit. The Deathscythe stood a few legs apart from Wing Zero. Unlike its brethren, the Deathscythe was assortment of random areas that were being worked on and some areas that were completed. Its shield was pulled apart leaving the inner frame and connector mounted on its left arm. It's shoulder armors were missing, showing only the round inner frame pieces that connected the arms to the body. A large piece was attached to half of its backpack but it was still a dull gray, not yet to match the Deathscythe's color. The piece was shaped and curved like a small 'bat' wing. Even with small additions and improvements, the Deathscythe stood empty without life, without all of its armor.

Heero and Duo looked at the various encrypted files from the drive on the larger computer set up for Heero when he worked on the OS. Heero's impressive computing skill, as near perfection as it was, was unable to make a clear dent in opening the file. He managed to decrypt multiple layers but there were a few more difficult layers remaining that kept him from opening the first file. Heero felt like it was a personal challenge. He was focused on getting this first file opened, testing his own limit and skills.

Duo sighed seeing how focused he was. "Well that's a first for you." He commented chuckling slightly.

Heero looked up briefly staring a Duo before resuming his task. "The guy that dropped this may be smarter than you think…"

Duo looked at Heero shocked at his statement. "Did you…just admit that someone was better than you?"

"No, I didn't say that. He's kept the files tight under lock and key. There are encryptions for the encryptions. It'll still take a while, but I'll get it done."

Duo sighed having enough of all this talk about computers, hacking, and encryption. "Well, I got some parts to make, so you do your thing and I'll do mine!" Duo shouted before he headed toward the other end of the room. Heero heard the burning sound of a welding torch burning strong. The sound of the blowing heat was soon replaced by a louder noise when Duo pointed the large torch upon the steel.

Heero sighed and tried to ignore the sounds, but the sounds were constant and didn't let up thanks to their confined space. Heero pulled out the thumb drive and went up the zip line going into Wing Zero's cockpit for much needed silence. When the cockpit hatched closed he let out a sigh of relief as the noise was lowered greatly. Opening his laptop he inserted the drive and began continuing his work.

Heero used various key commands to open up new windows while he tried to clear the other final levels of this first encryption. While he worked, Heero thought to himself, questioning the strange person's motive. _"First he forces us into this Era, and then he helps us…" _Heero recalled how they came upon the Deathscythe, making the connection between the two through a strong assumption. _"And now he's become a threat…willing to endanger the lives of innocent people."_ Heero was frustrated. He was used to understanding what kind of enemy he was facing, but this person, this pilot was different. He was someone that Heero couldn't seem to read.

He looked at the large sphere in front of him lost in thought. "Even ZERO's having difficulty showing me the right path to end all of this…"

Heero's eyes widened as an idea dawned upon him. He looked at his laptop and reached over to one of the hidden compartments he used to store his personal belongings. There he pulled the wire he used often when he connected his laptop to his suit when he worked on its system. A display of the internal workings of the gundam's system displayed on his laptop screen, showing a digital blue-print layout of the cockpit system and more in depth information about its internal computer. Heero began routing some of the functions of the computer into his laptop and used it to aid him in cracking the file.

Multiple loading screens popped up as the computer went into overdrive. Heero succeeded in making an impromptu supercomputer. _"By using the Zero systems prediction functions and fast calculations, I'll hopefully be able to get this thing done."_ Heero hated the thought that he hoped for something to work but it wouldn't have been the first time he was unsure of something presented in his life

After several minutes, the loading stopped as everything froze for a moment. Heero watched curiously as he saw he was able to access the files. He opened each one and looked. His eyes widened at what he saw. "H-he's…" Heero was in utter shock at what he saw. His eyes finally showed signs of movement when he noticed something on the corner that popped up.

"Hm?"

Heero's eyes scanned this new information as he memorized the numbers displayed on the screen, noticing that they were coordinates. Heero opened up a geographical map of ORB typing in the information he had read. Heero felt frightened and concerned for the first time in a long, long time, but now he couldn't afford to be afraid. He had to focus. Heero now had a decision to make. He had the information and he knew where to go, but a small thought entered his mind as he remembered what Duo said to him and how he considered the two of them were allies in this world.

"Hmm…" Heero closed his eyes and took a moment to consider his options and decide what he wanted to do. He could tell Duo where he was going to go or leave without saying anything. Heero opened his eyes, his decision made as his eyes shined with resolution. He closed his laptop, disconnecting the wire and leaving it on the side. His mind was now set on one goal. He exited his machine, ignoring the loud noise of the burning steel.

Heero glanced at Duo looking at his friend silently before departing.

Duo seemed so preoccupied with his tasks at hand that it allowed Heero to head out of the private hangar without Duo's knowledge.

Heero had a cold stare in his eyes as he proceeded out of the factory with few noticing that he left, but due to the incident that occurred the day before, nearly everyone had kept their distance from Heero, leaving him alone.

As Heero headed out, Kira made his way toward the private hangar bitterly. He kept an angered stare on his face as he made his approach. Kira had finally finished the OS and needed Heero's presence during the testing phase. Though his anger and blame quelled somewhat toward Heero, he still held a great resentment against himself for allowing him to me manipulated by Heero's words. Maybe that was what caused his desires to become blurred. For whatever reason it may have been, Kira knew that he would never be the same, again.

"I just need to get this over with…" he said quietly. Looking up, Kira saw the doors in front of him, but a familiar picture caught his attention on his right. Glancing over, he noticed Heero heading out of the factory.

"Huh…? Where's he going?" Kira questioned.

Inside the city, life resumed as if what occurred the day before was but a dream to the citizens. Inside a crowd of pedestrians, Heero walked silently excusing himself now and then to proceed ahead of others. He bumps into someone causing them to drop their belongings.

"Hey watch where you're going!" The man yelled.

He watched as Heero took his leave ignoring him.

The man's companions knelt down helping him pick up his items. A red haired girl looked at the man annoyed by his actions. "Lowe, just drop it will you?" She crossed her arms over her black one pieced shirt that outlined her petite breasts nicely. The girl's choice of clothing was interesting to say the least. Most of her upper body was shown off and her shirt and small coat seemed too small for a girl her size. She sighed looking at this man called "Lowe".

"It's a crowded street. You should have known that this would happen!" she lectured pointing a finger at him.

Lowe stood up and brushed off some dirt off of his pale yellow vest. He looked at the direction Heero went, shaking his head still annoyed that he had dropped multiple junk parts. He sighed and turned, looking at the girl smiling.

"You're right, let's get going you guys" glancing up at his companions.

Lowe and his companions continued on, leaving their run in with Heero in the past.

Heero continued walking hastily as he made his way out of the city limits and into the brush. The sunset's light shined brightly behind him giving the area a yellow-orange hue throughout. Heero stood in an open area looking around for someone or something.

"I'm surprised you figured it out so soon, Heero…"

Heero was surprised and turned around seeing a figure come out of the dark bushes and tree's shadow. Heero pulled out his pistol, aiming it at the figure's head. He sighed calmly looking at the person in front of him. "You…" Heero watched the figure as the sun revealed his features.

The male had a pale tan complexion. His hair was long but stopped just above his eyebrows. It grew out and fell, giving his head a somewhat smooth round top. Heero took note of the male's physique, seeing a well-toned body that was outlined by the tight dark shirt he wore. The male wore a long trench coat that Heero remained cautious of, unsure what contents were hidden from his eyes.

The male looked at Heero through his glasses, smiling at him.

"Not who you were expecting, but nonetheless, it's time we talked. Wouldn't you agree?" The male questioned.

Heero remained alert and cautious. He kept his pistol dead locked on the males head. "Hmm…"

**I hope you have enjoyed this chapter. I was so focused on having fun writing this story and going with what ideas I had (without thought to goal and etc) and just kept writing. As I stated I hope that this chapter and the upcoming ones will answer some of your questions. Lastly, please review, it helps me see what you, the readers like or do not like for whatever reason you have. I can learn to use that criticism to improve this story or future ones. Thank you for taking your time to Read and hope you enjoyed.**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Shadows of the Looming Past

Disclaimer: I DO NOT own gundam wing or SEED. But the Original Character that shows up is mine.

A gentle breeze blew through the open area on which Heero stood, staring at this strange person in front of him. The blades of grass moved, swaying left and right with the blow of the wind. Heero's bangs mirrored the grasses' movement. Although the gentle breeze was welcoming, Heero could not forget that he was not there for a break or vacation. The person that stood in front of him matched Duo's description of the "freak of nature" he had run into earlier the day before. Heero kept his pistol dead-locked on the man's head. Both men were silent as if they were mute.

As Heero stared at this man he couldn't help but wonder what this man had to do with their being here, and what he had planned for them—for him. Heero found it odd. He felt no sense of danger or hostility toward or from this man. He felt a calming sensation that was soothingly breath-taking. Heero had felt a calmness overcome him like one he had never felt before. All his concerns about what was truly going on disappeared for that one moment. It was like being in the mere presence of this strange person gave him a sense of hope. Heero didn't know what kind of hope this feeling was meant for. In the moment of his weakness, Heero's eyes glanced down slightly as he thought back to what he saw on the screen. He tightened his left fist trying his best to comprehend the estrange situation he was faced with. Heero's steady aim slowly relaxed while he was lost in thought.

"_He…he can't be alive. There's no evidence of anyone that survived…"_

The man stood there looking at Heero, staring at him with a content nonchalant stare. He cleared his throat and moved his hands into the pockets of his trench coat. The man's slight movement interrupted Heero's thought as he repositioned his rifle at the man's head.

"Don't move," Heero said coldly.

The man sighed and briefly scoffed. "Look at you. You're a shell of your former self. Back then you would have never considered aligning yourself to a faction for this long. Hell, looks like you're even growing weaker as a soldier now that the seed of affection has been planted. Maybe you aren't the right one for this after all." He commented.

Heero looked at him, trying to hide his curiosity. _"Right one?"_ he thought quietly.

The man looked around, moving his fingers around in his pocket, tapping his leg out of boredom. He licked his lips and exhaled.

"That image scared you didn't it? It brought back something you haven't felt since you were a small child. But, even as a kid you weren't one to be scared of too much. You learned how to shoot and set explosives proficiently at such a young age. Trained by Odin Lowe, a man who you'd consider to be the closest thing you had to a father. After the man's death you went on your own, but then you ran into Doctor J. The doctor took you in and raised you harshly no doubt. Had a hand in what makes you…you. But, Heero, there was another, wasn't there?"

Heero's eyes dilated slightly at the sound of the man recalling so much about his past. The small lapse of surprise ended as Heero regained his calm cold demeanor, staring at the man with hostile eyes.

"You know so much about me, yet I know nothing about you. Who are you? And why have you sent us here?"

Heero was never truly accustomed to asking so many kinds of questions but the situation wasn't in his favor, despite how things seemed. He saw that the man showed no fear at all to the fact that he was at gunpoint and he seemed to be in control of the situation, even with Heero holding the gun. Heero felt as if he was reliving a meeting with Treize. He thought back to his past, remembering back to the time he met Treize face to face. Back then he was put in a similar situation. Even though he had a gun pointed at Treize, the man showed no fear whatsoever.

The man lightly scoffed. "You're right. I should give you some information. After all you got the first file to open." The man took a small break, pausing briefly. "I guess I should give you my name, but to be honest I can't remember my true name. It's been so God dang long. So if you're going to call me something, call me…Cassius. Yea…that'll do."

Heero remained vigilant but calmed as the man spoke, intrigued as to what answers "Cassius" may have held. Heero didn't utter a word to the fact that Cassius had given him a name to call him by. He was the least bit interested in that.

"What's your goal for having us here, _Cassius?_"

Cassius remained calm just as much as Heero.

"Now my goals are…you don't need to know about my goals yet. They're very…long termed. Right now my goal for you is to help you out. Giving what you need and let you dictate the rest. Think about it Heero. Had I not shown you the file, do you really think you and the preventers would notice if that Doctor built a dimensional device? By the time you'd figure it out on your own, you would have been too late and you'd have little to no information on what the fuck happened. You should, in a way, be thanking me for giving you that ultimatum. Think of the alternative. What if I hadn't intervened and given you this dire information."

Heero remained quiet but his eyes displayed his mind at work, thinking up all of the worst case scenarios had he and the Preventers not known about this.

"_If this was that…doctor's intent, then we would have…" _

Heero eye's widened, figuring out the doctor's intentions.

Cassius smiled noticing Heero's stare. "That's what I like about you Heero, you don't look at one possibility; you look at them all. Not only that, you were able to connect the two. Now you see why I did what I did. Now that you got part of what you needed, how about you lower that gun. You can trust me…" He said.

With the doctor's possible motive in his mind his thoughts rested slightly eased by some questions that were answered via his own realizations. He narrowed his eyes at Cassius, looking at him as another batch of questions followed.

"Why should I trust you? You were willing to kill innocent people and endanger their lives. And why do you have another Wing Zero? The stunt you pulled could have resulted in increasing more casualties! " Heero yelled narrowing his eyes angrily.

Cassius chuckled lightly at Heero's words. "You mean Astray's flight over ORB? You shouldn't be pointing the gun at me; I wasn't in the cockpit at the time, remember? If you want to blame anyone blame Astray. And I don't think that it'd take kindly to you comparing it to your suit. That's two completely different leagues. So I suggest you do what you do best and keep your opinions to yourself like you do ninety percent of the time." Cassius cautioned.

Heero kept note on how Cassius spoke about the black Wing Zero and how he talked about it like it was a sentient being. Heero didn't have much time to ponder over if this other Wing Zero was a sentient being or not as a strange instinct took over and he then continued with other questions that irritated his mind. "Why do things the way you did? If you wanted the Preventers to deal with this issue why didn't you give them the information sooner so they could act accordingly to the situation?" Heero questioned.

"You've got it wrong Heero. It's you that interest me. A heart that can sympathize and understand others, that's what interests me. I wonder…" Cassius pulled out a small locket attached to a silver necklace out from under his shirt, touching the front softly with his thumb. He let go of the small locket, looking at Heero, staring into the young man's eyes. "I wonder Heero, if you can succeed where I have failed."

"Hm?" Heero was surprised by Cassius' actions. "What do you mean?" he questioned.

Cassius put his hand into his pants pocket pulling out three data discs. He fanned them out, holding them in his hand showing them to Heero. "ZERO should be able to tell you where your path in this existence leads to. There is so much more to the system than you know, Heero. Depending on how you interpret these two questions, you will either have succeeded me, or join me."

Cassius looked at the discs and then looked up at Heero. "What is the limit to humanity's adaptability? What is the true answer to end all conflicts?"

Heero listened intently. He thought for a moment considering Cassius words and what he meant by them. _"What does he know…?"_ He thought irritatingly. Heero felt frustrated and calm at the same time, it was a strange feeling. He felt safe around Cassius but at the same time he felt he should be killing this man, unsure of what incomparable dangers his secrets held.

"Once you unlock more and more details about what's hidden in that drive, these discs will make more sense to you. I hope that you'll have a sense to use it when the time comes. You don't need me to answer your questions. Let your emotions lead you to the path that's right for you in this world. Your time has just begun."

Cassius threw the small discs toward Heero. The three discs twirled as the landed on the grass sliding to his feet. Heero kept his eyes on Cassius as the man left. He didn't shoot. Heero watched as he left. He didn't question why he didn't shoot or why Cassius acted so kind and helpful to him, like an ally. Seeing Cassius disappear into the shadows of the thick brush, Heero lowered his gun and looked down at the three discs. Picking them up he noticed something familiar, yet unusually different about the discs.

"Hmm…"

Heero stood silently in the coming night as he thought to himself, wondering what he would do next. He thought about what Cassius said. Though it was true that he had changed much in a total of three years since Operation Meteor, he didn't consider himself a great liability, but it was the way Cassius spoke of how he had a "seed of affection".

He sighed calmly, "Relena…"

As Heero had a brief moment to think about Relena, a thought crept up in his mind as his thoughts shifted from Relena to Cagalli.

Standing there alone he closed his eyes and thought of his past.

*flashback*

A young brown haired boy walked along with an old man heading down the hallway. The young boy looked around seeing many other adults passing the duo as they made their way to their own destination. The young boy glanced up at the old man looking at him curiously. He let out a light sigh and looked ahead keeping things to himself. Nearing their destination the two came to a halt when the old man was stopped by one of his colleagues.

The college was a picture of a man in perfect health. He had gelled back blonde hair that left only a few strands left lightly covering his forehead. He wore thin frail glasses that when coupled with his firm chin and facial features, gave him a know-it-all look. He had a light beard that covered most of his chin and lower face. The colleague smiled at the old man as they began talking to one another.

The young boy watched listening to their conversation that they tried to keep private by keeping close to one another.

"The targeted alteration was a success! We should hurry up and use it on the boy now!" the colleague yelled, trying to keep his voice to a whisper as best as he could.

The old man moved his glasses, glancing down at the boy briefly. "No. The first alteration should be more than enough." He argued.

The colleague was furious at the old man's decision. "If we added this then he would be—!"

"That's enough Yagami! I've seen the research and it is too risky. I told you, what I've done to the boy is enough."

Yagami gritted his teeth together as he watched the old man and the young boy take their leave. "Have it your way, Jay. If you can't see that this is the way toward peace, I'll make you see it!" Yagami stormed off heading in the opposite direction. The young boy took a moment to glance back at Yagami, wondering what it was the two men talked about. The old man looked down at the young boy smiling.

"You don't need to be concerned about what happened any more young man, focus on the task at hand."

The young boy sighed and did just as he was told, leaving behind the small incident to be forgotten and buried within his mind.

Later that night the boy slept in a small bed trying to get as much sleep as he could. He lied on his side with one hand under the pillow. The boy awoke from the sound of commotion outside his room. He woke up and pulled a pistol from under his pillow holding it steady, ready to fire.

Aiming the pistol at the door as it opened, the boy was surprised to see the one of the adults rushing in.

"Let's go!" he yelled.

Behind the adult was a massive amount of smoke. Seeing the area in a blaze the boy complied and left with the old man. The duo rushed out of the area along with many others. The boy glanced around seeing various rooms on fire. He passed a particular room seeing Yagami trapped in the room, his movement hindered by the surrounding destruction and fire. After a moment of running through various corridors the boy escaped turning around looking at the facility he had called home for months on end burn in a great inferno.

The young boy watched as the fire engulfed the large facility, staring at it blankly.

*end flashback*

Heero opened his eyes looking down at the three discs in hand. He sighed and put the discs in his rear right pocket. Putting his gun back, he headed out of the area hoping to get back before nightfall.

While Heero met Cassius, Kira wondered where he went. Giving into his curiosity, Kira approached the door to the private hangar that held the two suits. Before he could even try to get in, the doors opened. Exiting the hangar was Duo, flared and angered like he had never seen him before.

"Man, the guy goes running offright after I talked to him about all of that 'we are partners' thing. Sheesh…huh?"

Duo looked up to see Kira standing there looking at him with the most awkward stare. Duo put away his anger and donned his ever so "happy no worry" smile. "Hey there, kid. What's up?"

Kira looked at him confusingly. He was sure if Heero had left then his friend would have known, but here Duo stood seemingly angered by Heero's leave. The young teen looked at Duo speaking softly. "Uh yea…where's Heero gone to? I saw him leave a while ago. You know where he went?"

Duo sighed and looked down angrily. He shook his head looking at Kira. "Heero's…has always been like that. As long as I've known the guy…" Duo looked over to the setting sun as it slowly disappeared. Soon it would give way to a lightly blue-purple hue before the night sky took the stage. Duo chuckled and put his hand on Kira's shoulder. "Don't worry about it too much, Kira…" Duo paused taking moment to think about what he said. "He'll come back…eh…hopefully," Duo said doubtfully.

"I see…" Kira sighed. He didn't have time waste and wait for Heero to return. Once he was done here then he would be done with ORB. Once he was done with ORB then he would be done being a volunteer of the Earth Alliance Military and all the things he did would be in the past. _"I just want it all to end…" _he thought.

Duo looked at Kira curiously. He knew Kira had gone through a lot and Duo knew from experience that killing was someone in general was tough to swallow not to mention killing someone you cared about or knew on a deep level. "Something on your mind, Kira?" Duo asked, concerned for the youth.

Kira looked up seeing Duo staring at him. He sighed and gave a light smile, shaking his head. "No, it's nothing." Kira appreciated Duo's concern. Unlike Heero who seemed so hardened by battles, Duo seemed more down to earth, and while he was ruthless on the battlefield, it seemed that to him, Duo was someone he could trust in some sense. Kira sighed and started walking away, but stopped glancing back at Duo. "Hey when you see him, could you tell him that the Operating System's ready for full testing?"

Duo's eyes lit up. "Why didn't you tell me it was ready? Sounds like something worth checking out if you guy's finished in what, two days?" Duo said smiling and rubbing his nose slightly with his right index finger.

"So I take it that everything's set?" Erica questioned surprising the two.

Kira turned around looking at her for a moment and then sadly shook his head. "Not exactly, Heero left a while ago and I don't have any idea where he went."

Erica lightly crossed her arms together, thinking for a moment, considering what to do without Heero present in the demonstration. She didn't know what Heero did with the OS in the beginning since he was in the private hangar for the majority of the time, but she knew she and the others at the demonstration needed him to explain some aspects of what he did to the OS so that they could understand the technological concepts of the system from Heero's perspective, given that his suit had to run on other type of OS that made it equal or greater to the current OS on the Strike. Before she could even say a word, Erica looked up noticing a familiar face returning to the facility. "Hmm…" she said with a smile.

Duo glanced over to see Heero walking towards them casually, like nothing had happened. He gritted his teeth together and rushed at him. Pulling at Heero's shirt, Duo raised his fist ready to hit him. Erica and Kira looked at Duo surprised by his actions. The workers around them paused wondering if a fight between the two would soon occur.

It was clear to Erica now that Duo had no idea that Heero had left. "Hey come on Duo, why don't you calm down and let Heero explain himself. I'm sure he had a good reason for leaving." Erica pleaded trying to resolve the situation before it became something more hectic.

Duo looked over at Erica for a brief moment and then glanced back at Heero. He saw something in Heero's eyes that he had not seen for a very long time. He sighed and let go of Heero, lowering his fist. "I wouldn't even get anything out of punching this guy…" he said pointing a thumb at Heero, recalling the incident the time he got a free shot at Heero's face.

Heero remained silent as ever. His encounter with Cassius caused the soldier to have even more doubt. He wondered if being open to everyone had caused him to become weaker compared to when he was a lone wolf. The thought occupied his mind for few seconds though as he closed his eyes focusing on what he did best when it came to living his life: Live by his emotions. Though the thought remained in the back of his mind, Heero focused on living his own life and tried his best not to let what Cassius said bother him too much.

Heero looked at the three, wondering what was going on. He glanced at Kira seeing thehim holding his laptop and Erica standing there. Within fifteen seconds he figured out what they possibly wanted from being at the Private Hangar, together.

"The Operating System is completed?" he questioned.

Kira's eyes looked up at him. Kira nodded confirming Heero's question.

"Understood," Heero said. He started walking away from the three heading to the demonstration area that Erica had shown them before.

Kira watched him leave and then soon followed.

Duo smiled and sighed quickly, letting out all his anger and frustration out. "This should be good, mind if I tag along?" he asked Erica.

Erica smiled at Duo, "Sure,"

The two left the area following Heero and Kira.

Inside the demonstration area, one suit stood ready and prepared to test out this new system. Kira sat at one of the many computers on one side of the room while Heero remained on the other at the opposite end of the room. Kira looked over a Heero wondering who would upload the operating system. Heero gave a simple nod and that was more than enough for Kira to continue on and update the suit. With their work essentially done, Heero and Kira watched, waiting on Erica's command so the pilot could start her drills.

Erica pushed a small button on the small Bluetooth communicator in her ear before speaking. "Alright, let's give this system a good test run."

With that, the pilot began moving her suit, following the daily drills. The pilot began moving the suit according to what she had done before, but found that her inputs were doing nothing to help the suits movement.

One of the other pilots looked back at Heero and Kira. "Hey what gives? I thought you were going to make it easier for us to move these things, not harder!"

Erica remained calm but she'd be lying if she didn't admit that she was concerned something and gone awry. She looked at Heero for some kind of explanation.

Heero noticed the suit was sluggish and looked down at his screen seeing the girl moving the controls in a manner that he had eliminated, to simplify the controls. He sent the pilot a list of instructions, telling her some basics on how the systems control had changed. "I used our mobile suit's operating system as a template. I simplified the controls to pre-programmed movements but to a more simplified level, combining movements to get the same results you'd get by inputting multiple commands compared to the old system." Heero stopped, looking up at the suit, waiting for the pilot to follow the instructions he sent.

Duo smiled glancing back at Heero momentarily. He was surprised that Heero chose to use their systems as the template, but he couldn't blame him. He saw the results from the previous demonstration. Though their system was not one to be taken lightly to fully manipulate to such a skilled degree, compared to so many inputs the pilots must have put in before just for a simple movement made Duo smile, glad that things back home weren't this complicated. _"They need the help…"_ he chuckled slightly and returned his gaze upon the suit.

The instructions were simple enough for her to follow. She was mildly surprised that the controls were simplified to such a level. "Really?" she questioned having a difficult time believing that the controls were that stupidly simple. Heero didn't bother answering her, leaving her frustrated for a slight moment. She sighed and looked at the controls. "Fine…!"

She followed the instructions and pulled the control handles back and forth pushing one up while pulling the other back, then alternating. As she did this she pushed down on one of the multiple buttons on the control handle. Everyone watched as the suit threw a couple punches. The pilot stepped on the foot pedals in a simple sequence. The suit bent its legs and rushed toward the large viewing window before jumping up and landing back a few lengths away.

Nearly everyone was astounded by the sheer difference in ease of movement and how the machines movement flowed from one to the next.

The other girls stood in awe behind the viewing glass.

"Wow…" one of them said.

"That's just awesome!" the other added

Erica looked at Heero smiling. "I'm amazed that you put so many controls into simplified inputs."

Heero didn't reply to her comment, staring at the screen blankly. "Hmm…"

Kira reviewed the Operating system's inner workings on his screen as he spoke. "With the principle of simplifying things with the template Heero designed, I increased the synapse fusing by over sixty percent. I had a bit of difficulty understanding the entire design that Heero gave me, but I was able redesign the molecular structure of the ion pumps to make it more compatible to the reflexes of the average natural."

Erica looked at Kira surprised that the boy had done this much even with the slight difficulty he admitted to having. "I'm just surprised you were able to do that much in just a matter of days! Wow, you're really good!"

Mu stood to Kira's rightb looking at the static suit. He glanced back at Erica. "Would I be able to get the same performance if I tried piloting it?"

Erica crossed her arms smiling at Mu. "Yes, that is correct, Commander. Would you like to give it a try?"

Kira sighed thinking about how this system worked. He couldn't admit it to everyone there, but thanks to Heero's involvement along with his own, they managed to create a system that was slightly superior to his own operating system that was in the Strike. _"Now that this thing's complete…more and more people are going to fight and more people will die…"_ He couldn't help but feel responsible as he thought about his hand in creating this monstrosity.

Mu noticed Kira's troubled looked. "Huh?"

With the demonstration completed everyone took their leave.

Kira parted ways with Erica. "Well, I'm going to make my way back to the Strike now." He said calmly.

"Okay, I'll see you later." She said leaving with the girls. The girls yawned and stretched their arms, talking about how hectic their day was as they left Erica to head back home.

Duo headed to the private hangar, following Heero but felt a hand on his shoulder stopping him. He looked back to see Erica smiling at him. Duo smiled in return looking at her. "What's up?" he asked.

She gave a light hearted smile and chuckled. "I heard that you were looking for junk parts a couple days ago."

Duo smile turned into a nervous grin. "Yeah. It's not that I don't appreciate you helping us out by letting us use your things, it's just…" he paused trying to find a nice way to put things.

Erica waved her hand laughing lightly. "You don't have to explain yourself. You know, I have a good friend that has someone that's into junk parts. I'll give her a call to send him over tomorrow. Maybe he can give you a hand at finding some parts you want. I think you two might just hit it off, you guys seem so much alike from what my friend has told me of this man." Erica started walking away heading off to do other business.

Duo stood there thinking to himself about the thought of meeting another junk dealer. "This place might not be too bad after all if it's got junkies." Duo chuckled lightly but then froze. His eyes stared down, widened at his realization. "I…I just signed my own death warrant." He groaned. "He's going to kill me if this guy tries and see what Wing Zero's like."

Duo sighed heavily as he made his way back to the private hangar.

As Kira walked back toward the Strike, Mu called out his name, stopping him momentarily.

"Uh what is it sir?"

"You got this look on your face like something's bothering you."

"I don't have a look sir." Kira said moving ahead going toward the Strike.

Mu followed, seeing Kira's deflection about what bothered him. "Oh yes you do. And I heard you passed up the chance to see your parents. Why's that?"

Kira kept on walking, ignoring the Lieutenant Commander.

"Kira?" Mu questioned, trying to get the boy's attention

"If I did meet them…" Kira started. "All they'd see is a soldier…and a murderer."

Mu watched intently as they arrived at the foot of the mobile suit. Kira looked over seeing Murdoch smiling at him.

"Hey kid, I went ahead and boosted the output of the thrusters by eighteen percent. Could you check the momentum control parameters for me?"

"Sure," Kira said happily as if the small conversation he had with Mu didn't happen. Kira climbed up on the Strike and got into the cockpit. He turned the system on as each screen in the cockpit lit up. The main screen up front displayed the Strike's torso.

Kira pulled the keyboard over and began typing rapidly. The screen changed displaying a blue screen with the words 'Mobile Suit Operating System' on the top with the OMNI insignia at the center. Kira began working as if he had never taken a break. He typed quickly as his eyes scanned over the screen adjusting what needed to be adjusted to get his Strike to the most proficient level as possible.

Mu stood near the open cockpit resting his hand on the hinge as he looked down at Kira. "You may be a soldier but you're still the same Kira. And you may have killed people but that a part of war. It's—"

"What we have to do as soldiers. I know…" Kira interrupted.

Mu sighed trying to stay calm and understanding of the boy's feelings. "Yea…but I'm sure they'd still want to see you."

Kira multitasked, something he was more than talented enough at. He continued on type while he spoke. "This is all I do. Fight in mobile suits…then help with the maintenance and repairs. Day in and day out. Once we leave Orb we'll face Zaft again..." Kira's words trailed off as he thought of Athrun.

Mu looked at Kira curiously wondering what was on his mind when he mentioned Zaft.

Kira stopped typing, thinking about what would happen with only two more suits to tend with. _"When all of this is over…"_ He sighed quietly trying to keep himself calm and his emotions in check in front of the Commander.

"Hey where's that green bird of yours…? You know the one that's always flying around on the ship?" Mu asked. He had always seen Kira with the toy pet frequently. He found it odd that he wouldn't have it with him now that they had some time to relax and recover.

Kira grunted quietly. The mention of Birdie made more memories of Athrun resurface, something he didn't want. He sighed and thought back to the Commander's comment about how his parents would have liked to have met with him. "Even if I did go see them…I'd only find myself asking them why…"

"Why what?"

"Why the hell did they make me a Coordinator!" Kira replied slightly angered by the sheer thought of why. Kira sighed heavily one final time before finishing up his tasks on the Strike. Kira tightened one of his fists angrily as he felt himself on the verge of crying once again.

"_Athrun…!"_

Inside his hospital room, Athrun was asleep, trying to recuperate as fast as possible. He had a calming yet pained look on his face as he slept. He tightened his eyes and moved his head back and forth groaning in pain and agony. "Ugh…"

While it seemed like he was only facing physical pain, in his mind Athrun was in battle. Athrun dreamt but it was not a dream he wanted to have.

_Athrun sat in the shaky cockpit of the Aegis, his target: The Legged Ship's engines. The suit flew as quickly as it possibly could, trying to reach the engines before it went fully into Orb waters. Athrun gritted his teeth and grunted slightly nearing his target. He glanced down at his right control. His hand hovered over the button to release the self-destruction keypad. This was the only thing he could do now that his suit was a battered mess of what it used to be. Before he could push the button a shadow casted over his suit from above. Athrun looked up in horror seeing the Strike diving down._

_Seeing the suit with its sabers drawn, Athrun had to act quickly to defend what was left. He moved the front controls in a quick sequence and adjusts his thrusters as the Aegis twirled, its head facing the Strike. Athrun looked down to the only weapon that wouldn't completely exhausts his remaining power; The Multi-barrel CIWS! Pulling hard on the trigger Athrun yelled as the Aegis's head rocked as it released a torrent of bullets. Despite seeing that it did nothing Athrun would not go down without a fight! He expended all of his rounds and stared at the Strike with vengeful eyes._

"_Kiiiira!"_

_Athrun yelled out as he watched the Strike slicing away at his suit. Athrun watched as the cockpit filled up with smoke and shrapnel shot out at him. The last thing he remembered seeing was a piece of shrapnel hitting his visor._

_Athrun yelled as his vision was engulfed in darkness and filled with blood._

Athrun woke up yelling. He sat up on the bed, sweat dripping on his back as if he came out of the shower without drying himself. Athrun breathed heavily as he moved the blanket away from his body, trying to cool off from the heat that built up. He sighed multiple times trying to catch his breath. He looked out to the window seeing the pitch black night sky and the scattered stars. Athrun touched his face, feeling a large amount of bandages wrapped around on the right upper side. He felt around for the piece that covered his right eye. Wincing in pain he lifted that part up wanting to feel for himself how much damage there was. He touched it softly but felt little to no sensation. He tried opening his eye, hoping that he'd be able to see out of it.

His vision blurred at first but it slowly cleared to some degree when he opened his injured eye. Though it felt like his vision was blurry with his constant tearing eye, it was just a great relief to open it for once after days of having it closed.

Looking over at the clock above the door he sighed. _ "03:24…"_ Athrun knew that this night would be one of the longest ones he ever had. His heart was still trying to calm down. He felt his chest throbbing from the fast beating it went through while he dreamt. Athrun felt sore for the most part but the small steady doses of morphine kept his pain to a minimal manageable level. He wondered what had happened since he was put in the hospital.

Athrun looked around the room seeing nothing he could use to quell his mind about wanting to figure out what was going on. There was a television, but with hospitals notorious history for having bad reception or cable, he was hesitant to use it.

Athrun lied in bed thinking to himself, recalling the events in his mind, trying to remember what happened and make sense of it. All Athrun could recall was his bout with Kira and the failed mission to destroy the legged ship. "I guess it really is true then. We're destined to kill one another…" he said to himself.

Athrun couldn't sleep anymore for the remainder of the night. He sat in bed thinking too much. For nearly five hours all he did was relive what had happened, either in his mind or during his small lapses of slumber due to light fatigue.

When the morning sun came up he looked at it with a renewed sense of joy, somewhat. He looked toward the door to see Nicol entering.

"Hey…" he greeted calmly.

Nicol was surprised to see him up and calm and most importantly; out of pain. Nicol smiled as tears of joy built up as he rushed toward Athrun tackling his friend lightly hugging him.

"I'm so glad you're better!"

Athrun was shocked to see Nicol so happy over his apparent recovery.

Nicol looked up to see Athrun's other eye exposed. "Should you really be doing that?"

Athrun looked at Nicol confusingly wondering what he meant he noticed Nicol looking at his right eye and covered it slightly. "Oh…this? I just couldn't stand keeping my eye closed. At first it was irritating but after a while it got better. I can almost see out of it decently with the sun out." Athrun said chuckling.

"You shouldn't be doing that, what if it had gotten infected?" Nicol argued

"Come on Nicol, this is a hospital, unless I went around the hospital sticking my face in infected areas, I doubt my eye would have been infected with anything. Besides, I think it's good that I let it get some air." Athrun explained.

Nicol sighed and took a seat. "If you say so…"

Athrun sighed and wasted no time. "So what's happened since I was out of action…?"

Nicol looked at him appalled that that was what he wanted to know about when he recovered. "Come on now, Athrun. Just let it go for a bit and chill out. We've plenty of time to figure things out later." He looked at Athrun with pleading eyes.

Athrun sighed and calmed down. "Alright. If that's how you want it, how about you by me some breakfast, I'm famished and in no mood for bad hospital food." He said chuckling.

Nicol smiled and nodded happily. "Sure,"

Nicol helped Athrun out as they headed to the cafeteria. Athrun had forgotten how it was so relaxing to just be calm and have fun in times of small piece. Maybe Nicol was right. Maybe he should just focus on what he could now and get better.

"_Once I'm better…I'll deal with the ship and those suits later."_

That mid-morning in Gibraltar, Yzak walked around the base in his red uniform, looking at all of the suits and workers on their duties. He felt like a handicapped, not because of his prosthetic arm, but for the fact that he was ordered not to do anything to help out and was forced to "relax".

Yzak grunted angrily as he walked around having nothing to do. "Damn it! What's the point of relaxing when I don't feel tired?" Yzak watched the workers as they rushed toward the run way seeing a plane landing onto the base. Curious as any of the workers he rushed toward the run way following the group. Seeing the parts unloading his eyes widened. "T-that's…"

Yzak watched as they unloaded multiple pieces of the Aegis, Athrun's unit. He watched in silence as his comrades unit was shipped to the hangar. Yzak hastily followed watching at what they'd do to the suit. He was so concerned over the Aegis; Yzak had failed to see that his own suit was going under repairs. He glanced up at his suit seeing the mechanics changing a lot of things on his suit.

"Hey! What the fuck you doing to make suit!" he yelled

The lead engineer at the base turned around looking at him calmly. "Orders from the homeland. We got new blue prints from the homeland late last night." The engineer shook his head, laughing slightly. "Whoever sent these is one crazy guy." He commented looking at the designs.

Yzak grunted angrily at the engineer, but signed when he noticed his suit's armor was well underway to being completed. He looked over to see the Assault Shroud armor being incorporated in the armor in some way.

The engineer walked passed him and yelled out to the workers. "Alright I want 1/3 of the team to work on the finishing up the first suit, and then the rest of you guys get working on the chopped up suit. We got orders to rush these, but that doesn't mean I want it half assed, you hear?"

As the workers began their jobs on the Aegis and finishing up the Duel, Yzak watched them. He watched them working on the Aegis intently, thinking about how Athrun was doing back at Carpentaria. He smiled, thinking back to their days at the academy.

"_You were always the one that got the better things out of all of us, but by the time our suits are finished, we'll be back stronger than ever!"_

Yzak stepped forth and joined the team working on his own unit, hoping to help speed up the process with more workers on hand. The workers paused seeing him joining them, despite his minimal knowledge of how to repair his unit.

"What are you looking at, get to work!" he yelled at them. He grabbed a safety helmet and looked up at his suit, smiling happily.

After a strenuous and silent night in the hangar Duo looked at his suit smiling at it. _"Just a few more parts and a paint job, if there's some time…" _he chuckled lightly. Duo looked over toward Wing Zero and sighed heavily. That night when they returned, Heero had locked himself inside Wing Zero, ignoring any attempt Duo made to get him to talk about where he went or what he did while he was out.

Duo sighed and shook his head. "This isn't even like the deal with the freaky scientist," he narrowed his eyes staring at Wing Zero. _"There's something more going on and I get the feeling if I don't figure things out as soon as possible it's going to be something we all are going to regret."_

The sound of the beeping intercom turning on interrupted Duo's thoughts. "Duo, there's someone here to see you." Erica's voice alerted. The doors opened and Duo looked over. He knew that it had to be the junk dealer Erica told him about, but he had never seen the guy before, so he had everything to expect and had every right to be cautious.

Standing at the entrance was Lowe. He stood there staring at the two suits in awe. He stood there unaware that the door was closing. "Oh shit!" He rushed in quickly just in the nick of time before the door closed. Lowe sighed in relief as he walked in. He looked up seeing the two suits before him. Lowe grinned excitedly seeing Wing Zero and Deathscythe.

"This is going to be soo great. I didn't know doc would have me help out with these kinds of suits."

Duo chuckled hearing the young man talk about their suits. Though it had become some kind of a dying trend, he didn't mind hearing the constant appreciation for his machine. He approached Lowe, smiling. "Yo,"

Lowe turned looking at Duo. "Hey, you Duo?" He asked.

"Yea, that's me. I might run and hide but I'll never tell a lie!" Duo said.

Lowe chuckled at his statement, finding this guy's open cheerful personality highly likeable. "Well I'm Lowe Guele, here to help you out. Well that's what I'm told to do. So which one's yours?" He looked at the two suits smiling like a kid in a toy store. He could barely hold himself from just going at it and looking at what made these suits different, compared to the Alliance's or Zaft's.

"Over here," Duo walked toward Deathscythe and stood in front of his suit proudly, grinning.

Lowe had the biggest smile in his life. He saw how the suit was already either on its way to completion or on its way to being worked on. Lowe didn't know what the situation was, but either way it was chance to learn something new about new technology and he couldn't pass it up.

"Sweet suit!" he yelled laughing.

"Lowe! Pay attention, you're here on a job!" a voice shouted.

Duo raised an eyebrow looking at Lowe like he was crazy. He heard someone talking, and it couldn't have been Heero, he didn't know Lowe and he didn't talk a lot. With no one else in the room Duo looked at Lowe cautiously. "You OK?"

Lowe groaned and raised his large laptop like device looking at the screen. "Hachi, cool your jets! We got time!"

What made Duo think Lowe was crazy was confirmed when he talked to his laptop. _"Great…a junkie with a crazy head…just…my…luck"_ Duo's assumption was put to rest when he heard something from the device.

"Well they don't have a lot of time and I've seen you take weeks just working on Red!"

Duo's eyes nearly popped out of his head. This was a new level of crazy he was not ready for. He didn't know what was going on with that machine, and to be honest, he didn't give a shit about what was going on. "H-hey how about we just schedule for next time, it's obvious you forgot to take some of your happy pills right?"

Lowe gave him a glare frowning at Duo for assuming such a thing from him.

Duo looked at him nervously. "Uh…too many happy pills?" he shrugged smiling.

Lowe sighed and approached Duo, but the cautious reaper backed away slightly until Lowe explained what it was that he was holding.

Duo sighed in relief and chuckled. "Sorry about the crazy thing. The closest thing I experienced with AI is mobile suits trying to kill me." Duo laughed out loud rubbing the back of his head.

Just as Erica suspected of Duo and Lowe, the two really did hit it off well, after some heavy explanation on both sides that is. Lowe assisted Duo and called some junk dealers around the area and helped Duo out by not only getting him parts he wanted but parts that his suit may have needed to help it perform better. Duo was surprised by Lowe's innate skill with technology.

"_This guy…if he's this good with recognizing a mobile suits weaknesses and strengths, especially from another Era…just thinking about how he does in his own mobile suit scares the Hell out of me."_ Duo thought.

While the two worked on Deathscythe, Heero remained inside the cockpit of Wing Zero working on the drive constantly. It was his second day with no sleep, but like any other time he just forced his body to adapt and work through it. _"I got to figure out what's in this drive…"_ he thought. Heero ignored what happened outside of the cockpit, solely focused on the task at hand, but even he had his limits without sleep and rest. Heero looked at the time and sighed calmly.

Wing Zero's cockpit opened as Heero exited the machine. Lowe looked over to see who the pilot was and to his surprise, it was the man he bumped into. He put down his tools and removed his safety goggles watching Heero leave. "That's the pilot of that suit?" he questioned.

Duo looked at Lowes eyes and then looked over at Heero. "Wait...you know the guy?"

Lowe sighed and shook his head, "Not personally. The guy bumped into in the city yesterday, making me drop a couple good finds."

Duo scoffed. _"Who would have thought I'd get something about Heero's outing from a guy I met today…?"_

Lowe gritted his teeth in anger but soon sighed and let it go. He put on his goggles again and continued helping Duo.

"I'll…be back soon." Duo said. He got off of Deathscythe and rushed to stop Heero.

"Hey! Heero!" He yelled

Heero was drained but not out of it just yet. He turned around and looked at Duo staring at him with cold but obviously tired eyes.

"Whoa, you don't look so good."

"What?" Heero said agitatedly

Duo leaned in close and spoke as quietly as he could. "What the hell happened yesterday? You got something from the drive didn't you…?"

Heero was too tired from days without sleep, answering Duo quickly to get him off his back.. "Yea, I'll fill you in when I get back."

Duo looked at him curiously. "Where you going now?"

"Bed," Heero replied quickly. Heero exited the hangar and headed toward the Archangel to go to his quarters for a well-earned moment's rest.

Duo watched him leave and sighed worriedly. _"Something's really got him on edge. I haven't seen him like this since I met the guy." _ Duo sighed when Lowe called him. Turning around Duo smiled and returned to working on his unit, hopeful that he would finish things up before they left.

As the sun began to set, readying for a new night, smoke from a burning fire rose into the sky. Sitting by the fire was Cassius, sitting under a tree watching the embers burn as the fire grew larger and brighter. A tone sounded to his right. Pulling out his phone he looked at the screen noticing something alarming. He sighed disappointedly.

"Shouldn't have left him alone." He said. "Hopefully, the other units will be able to salvage what remains, and if the bastards lucky, he'll live by the time he's needed." Cassius completed.

The sound of a large turbine spinning alerted him of some incoming object. He smiled as his suit made a landing a few meters from his location. In between the suits arm was a large yellow device that looked like some kind of asteroid splitter. On the device was the worldwide insignia for a nuclear related device, a yellow circle at the center and three small rectangles at three corners.

Cassius stood up and put out the fire. He approached the suit and smiled. Getting into the cockpit he sighed quietly.

"I already know. He'll be in critical condition for a while, hopefully he'll be alive. Let's get going. There's not much time left. We got fifteen seconds until the portal opens. I really got to work on finding a better way for this kind of travel" He commented lightly looking at a timer in the cockpit. "Takes too fucking long to recharge…."

As a distortion began to form in the sky, Cassius flipped a switch on the panel. The red sphere at the center flipped up and revealed the cockpit. A flooding cloud of particles released from the front of the cockpit into the area around the suit.

"You know what to do…" he commented.

The waves of particles surrounded the long yellow device and began changing. By the time that the portal had formed and readied, the device was contained in larger container. Cassius put his hands on the controls and smiled. Pushing a button on the large handle, the suit began to glow as the sound of the spinning increased to ear shattering levels. The red particles surrounded the suit as it changed to a redish-pink hue. The suit flew up quickly, leaving trails of after images. It flew into the portal and left the area. The portal sparked and thundered as it stretched out. A bright flash of light ensued as there was nothing left.

There was nothing that left any trace that there was a suit or a person in the area besides the pile of burned sticks of wood.

Late that night at the Carpentaria base the three teammates had a brief moment of rest and settled their mind elsewhere for a majority of the day. Their moment of joy ended when they received a call from a close friend.

"It's good to see you guys doing well." Yzak said looking at the three through the screen; his face dirtied with oil and grease. He saw the three bundled together to get into the camera's range of view. Yzak saw Athrun's face bandaged up. He tightened his fist but tried to keep things casual seeing how they had a relatively good day.

"You guys look like you were doing nothing but sitting on your butts while I have been doing all the work over here."

Nicol smiled "They let you work after your surgery? I thought you had to have a week or two of rest."

"Nah, resting's not my thing. And besides I managed to finish fixing up the Duel this afternoon. Everyone here is pulling an all-nighter, so the Aegis should be fixed up by mid-morning tomorrow. I'll probably see you guys around noon at Gibraltar."

The three friends smiled at the chance of the team reuniting. Athrun smiled and stood upright, staring at the screen. He felt his adrenaline and excitement rush through his body, knowing that by tomorrow the Le Crueset team would be reunited.

"Well then you should know that Commander Le Crueset made me leader."

Yzak scoffed. "Yea, yea, yea. Rub it in why don't you. Well I got work to do so I'll see you guys soon." Yzak was about to turn off the device when he stopped. "Oh yea, I sent you guys some data we got from the homeland. We got the real names of the Delta's and the name of Delta One's pilot." Yzak smiled evilly knowing that if Zala was like him, he'd relish in the thought of access to this kind of information.

With that Yzak cut the line.

Everyone was silent for a moment as they heard what Yzak said. They were unsure if what he said was truly real or not. Now they had the names of the suits that caused them so much trouble? It seemed unreal.

Athrun sighed and looked down thinking for a moment. His brief episode of kindness and carefree attitude was replaced with one that Dearka and Nicol knew all too well, and to much of Nicol's objection, the Athrun he had spent the day with was now gone.

Nicol looked at his friend cautiously as Athrun accessed the files seeing the Delta One and Delta Two's true codenames and the name of Delta One's pilot.

He tightened his fist and stared at the screen angrily. "We're coming for you, Heero Yuy!"

Nicol looked at Athrun worriedly as a sickening feeling grew at the thought of the next battle.

The next day in Orb was one of joy and sorrow. The parents were saying their final goodbyes to their children, unsure of when they would be able to see them again. Things were being rounded out and finished up in a timely manner.

That afternoon things were being completed and slowly loaded onto the Archangel getting set to launch the next day. Heero and Duo were one of the first to set their machines back into the ship.

Everyone took notice of Duo's machine, its new look seeming like some kind of fusion of technologies. The suit's most notable appearance change was the presence of a new backpack. Duo kept the large jammers that Deathscythe had originally but the backpack contained a small bat-like wing. The shield was the next thing to be overhauled. The curves on the fangs of his buster shield became sharper and pointed, giving it a deadlier look and more effectiveness in battle. More thrusters were added to the suit to aid it in flight. The shoulder armor contained two added pieces each containing one extra thruster. Standing there, still, Deathscythe didn't seem like it would do anything different then it would have done before the overhaul. Duo looked up at Deathscythe, seeing how it looked new, stock, even. He smiled and sighed happily.

"Now we'll get to fight on even ground. Just wait until they see the God of Death in action!"

Duo was itching for some action after nearly five days of doing nothing pertinent. Duo looked over at Heero and looked at him seriously. The evening before was one of the most stressful for him to go through.

*flashback*

Duo waved goodbye to Lowe, seeing his new friend off for the night after their day long work on his suit. Duo turned around and saw Heero standing there with a serious stare as always. Duo's smile changed, matching his friend's serious demeanor.

"So what do you got?"

Duo crossed his arms. It was about damn time that he was let in on something important to their situation, but he didn't prepare himself for what Heero had to say. Duo's eyes widened as he listened Heero's words. His hands dropped in pure shock at what he was told.

"Y-you can't be serious!" he yelled finding it hard to believe.

*end flashback*

Duo tightened his fist. Thinking back to the night before, he questioned whether or not he and Heero should have left the Archangel given that the suits were repaired and resupplied _"The longer we stay with them, the more trouble it will be for the Archangel, but if what Heero said is true, everyone's in trouble anyway…"_ Duo grunted annoyingly. He hated situations like these. He wanted to leave and did what he did best, fight alone and follow his own instincts to find a way to end this. On the other hand, he had grown accustomed to having a team or at the very least frequent access to tools to help repair his gundam from time to time.

Duo sighed and walked up to his monotone friend. He stood by Wing Zero looking at Heero for a moment before looking down at the ground, acting like they had noting important to discuss.

"So what's the plan? You going to leave the ship and go to space? Orb does have mass drivers…" Duo said.

Heero leaned against Wing Zero's, who unlike Deathscythe, receive no physical alterations whatsoever. It remained close to what it looked like when he had arrived in the Cosmic Era. Heero remained silent, having much on his mind about what he would do next considering what happened with Cassius. He told Duo a portion of what happened, but kept the personal things just that, personal.

Heero knew what he had to do here in the Cosmic Era was his business and his alone. He didn't want anyone involved with his problems, but like Duo, a part of him had grown accustomed to being on this ship and being around people. Heero closed his eyes and thought for a moment deciding on his next move.

"I'll see them all the way to Alaska. I'll leave after that."

Duo looked up at Heero slightly surprised that he had decided on such a long termed goal. "Well…if that's what you're doing, then I'll follow you. That scientist came from our Era and he's our problem. Let's just hope that by the end we can just go home and think of our experiences here as just some kind of weird ass dream." Duo said sighing heavily. Duo walked away heading back to his suit and watched everyone loading things up.

Heero ignored Duo's words about how the scientist was their problem. He sighed looking down knowing full well that it was his problem, not theirs. His mindset slowly changed as he began thinking for himself having little consideration about those around him.

Heero pulled out the three discs from his rear right pocket. He fanned them out and looked at them as Cassius words rang in his head.

On the run way at Carpentaria, the three teens watched as a carrier landed containing their friend and the two newly repaired suits that were needed for their next mission. Yzak disembarked the ship and looked at his allies. The team regrouped and rejoiced at the return of their team. Yzak looked at Athrun seeing his still bandaged face.

"So you going to remove that…?" he asked bluntly.

Nicol looked at Yzak worriedly and shot back at Athrun wondering if it would take his bandages off.

"Don't Athrun! You got to let it heal all the way!"

Athrun raised his hand and smiled Nicol. "Don't worry, I won't take it off yet. I will take it off when we commence our attack."

Yzak grinned at the sound of battle. "So any idea where that ship is now? Last I heard from talk in Gibraltar was that the ship sunk when the Orb Fleet shot it down."

Athrun tightened his fist at the mention that the ship was "Shot down".

"No, I'm sure that the ship is in Orb."

"How can you be sure? You were in the ocean and your cockpit must have been waterlogged, you probably couldn't have seen a thing!" Dearka argued.

"No I'm sure the damn things alive. It's got to be in there somewhere. I heard one of the Legged Ship's pilots hailing to the fleet."

"So? They could have caused the fleet to get pissy and then they got shot." Dearka suggested

"Shut up and let the guy explain!" Yzak yelled. He looked at Athrun and noticed the stare in his eyes. Athrun had a ligament reason to back up his words; Yzak could feel that in the bottom of his gut.

"The pilot of the other Skygrasper is the daughter to the heir of ORB." He announced. "That's what I heard."

Everyone grew silent and the notion that the legged ship was still standing made more sense to them. Yzak looked at Athrun and smirked. "Getting shot down's changed ya. And I got to say Athrun, I like it."

Athrun smiled in return and looked at all his teammates. "We'll head for the border once again. It's been about five days or so since they escape. I'm sure that they have to be leaving by now. And if they already left we'll strike them while they're heading to Alaska, and hit them with all our suits!"

While Yzak and Dearka were quick to agree to the plan Nicol was sickened by it. He kept quiet and trailed behind his team as they prepared to leave that night.

Back in Morgenroete, the Archangel prepared to make its final preparations for departure.

Arnold sat at the helm looking at the map, listening to Captain Ramius and Lieutenant Badgiruel while they conversed with Kisaka on where they should go next.

"Our main concern right now would be Panama. Carpentaria is buzzing with rumors that Zaft is planning some sort of massive operation…" Kisaka informed.

Natarle looked at Kisaka. "How reliable is your information on this?" She was concerned about a possible bad Intel that could lead them into a deadly trap.

"I do not know to be honest. ORB is in a precarious situation here. We want intelligence but we don't want to cause any trouble. But besides that point, you have a clear advantage here. You guys are headed to Alaska."

"And even if they chose to follow us all the way there once we pass the Tropic of Cancer we'll be in Alaska's air force space. I doubt they'd be crazy enough to follow us all the way there…" Arnold commented.

Listening to everyone's input Murrue nodded. Though she felt safe that their passage to the Tropic of Cancer would be successful given their forces, there still remained one concerning issue. She looked at Kisaka speaking softly. "What about the Zaft forces that were chasing after us?"

Kisaka smiled briefly. "Our records show that they retreated to Carpentaria. Seeing as they lost two units, I doubt they'd rush in to attack you so quickly before regrouping their forces."

Murrue smiled calmly glad to hear that the trip to Alaska would be a calming one.

"But I wouldn't let your guard down so easily, Captain Ramius. Like you, they have had days to recuperate and repair their suits and resupply. I wouldn't be surprised if at one point in your journey you run into them once again." Kisaka cautioned.

Natarle grew curious when Kisaka mentioned the destruction of the G-weapons. It reminded her of the talk around the base that Representative Athha knew nothing about the mobile suits or the Archangel. "Is it true that Representative Athha knew nothing about the construction of the mobile suits or this ship?" She questioned bluntly

"Lieutenant Badgiruel!" Murrue yelled.

Kisaka raised his hand to calm the Captain down.

"Yes, it's true that he didn't know anything about the whole affair. Yielding under pressure from the Atlantic Federation, a number of cabinet members made the decision on their own. Morgenroete turned out to be involved as well. I understand the arguments from the people who want ORB to declare itself to one side or another, but if we were to involve ourselves in the war, it would be our people who'd suffer the most."

Kisaka soon left the three leaving them to tend to his own duties.

With the Archangel just a mere day away from launching, the tension mounted as all the soldiers, workers, and pilots readied themselves.

The next day finally arrived as the area flooded with sea water, ready to assist the Archangel in its departure. As the Archangel prepared to leave, Zaft was slowly making its way toward Orb Waters. Though most of the crew on the Archangel felt confident that their leave and remaining journey would be full of leisure, Heero, Duo, and Kira stood ready by their suits, knowing that the battle and struggle would not end until all of the stolen G-weapons were captured or shot down.

Author's note: **Well here is chapter 13 and it's been a little while I know that. I had some things to do before so lost 3 days' worth of writing. The talking and etc ends here for the most part. Next few chapters will contain fighting and action. I hope everyone had a decent Xmas and got some good stuff. I know I did, got Gundam vs. Gundam Extreme. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, Please review, and Happy New Year!**


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